Approach Not the Altar with Gloom in Thy Soul in Tonic Solfa
Approach Not the Altar with Gloom in Thy Soul in Tonic Solfa to ST DENIO, doh is G: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 3 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| dAp-- | l,proach-f,not-rthe- | t,al--s,tar-dwith- | mgloom-min-rthy- | dsoul,---dNor- |
| l,let-f,thy-rfeet- | t,fal--s,ter-dfrom- | mter--mror's-rcon-- | dtrol;---dGod- |
| mloves-mnot-sthe- | msad--dness-dof- | mfear-mand-smis-- | rtrust;---mO,- |
| dserve-l,Him-rwith- | t,glad--s,ness,-dthe- | mLov--ming-rand- | dJust!--- |
Got your choir's recording? Get it in solfa →
Download the solfa (PDF)A4, free to print and share with your choir
- Key
- G major
- Doh
- G
- Time
- 3/4
- Starts on
- d (G)
- Range
- f, to s (C to D, a ninth)
- Tune
- ST DENIO
- Words
- Frances Sargent Osgood
- Music
- Welsh melody
Tune ST DENIO (Welsh melody); words by Frances Sargent Osgood (1811–1850). Sources and licences.
The solfa line by line
The same solfa as plain text, a line of the hymn at a time, with the words of the first verse under it — easy to copy into your own notes or a message to the choir. To print it, download the solfa as a PDF.
Doh is G · 3/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in G major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
Approach not the altar with gloom in thy soul,
Nor let thy feet falter from terror's control;
God loves not the sadness of fear and mistrust;
O, serve Him with gladness, — the Loving and Just!
His bounty is tender, His being is love;
His smile fills with splendor the blue arch above;
Confiding, believing, O, enter always
His courts with thanksgiving, His portals with praise!
Come not to His temple with pride in thy mien
But lowly and simple, in courage serene;
Bring meekly before Him the faith of a child,
Bow down and adore Him with heart undefiled!
How to sing it from the solfa
- Find doh first. Play or hum G and sing d r m f s up from it, so the whole choir has the key in their ears before you start.
- Pitch the first note. The tune starts on d (G), on the first syllable of “Approach”, as a pickup before the first full bar.
- Count the time. 3/4 means three crotchet beats in each bar. In the grid every cell is half a crotchet: a dash (–) holds the note before it, and _ is a rest.
- Know the notes. The tune uses d r m f s l t. A comma after a note (s,) is the octave below; an apostrophe (d') is the octave above.
New to solfa? Read how to read Tonic Solfa and how to find the doh of a song.
About the hymn
Frances Sargent Osgood wrote these words. They were printed in A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion, compiled by Samuel Longfellow and Samuel Johnson (Boston, 1848), as hymn 464, “Glad Worship”.
The book printed the words without tunes, marked Elevens (11.11.11.11), to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to ST DENIO; any other Elevens tune fits them as well.
- Words: Frances Sargent Osgood (1811–1850)
- Melody, printed in John Roberts's Caniadau y Cyssegr (1839): Welsh melody
Tune ST DENIO (Welsh melody); words by Frances Sargent Osgood (1811–1850).
Sung to the same tune: A Voice from the Desert Comes Awful and Shrill, Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.
Questions about Approach Not the Altar with Gloom in Thy Soul
What is the doh of Approach Not the Altar with Gloom in Thy Soul?
In this version, in G major, doh is G. If your choir sings it in another key, doh moves to the new key note and every solfa syllable stays the same — that is what movable doh means.
What note does Approach Not the Altar with Gloom in Thy Soul start on?
It starts on d (G in G major), a pickup on the first syllable of “Approach” before the first full bar. Find doh first, then sing up or down to d.
Is Approach Not the Altar with Gloom in Thy Soul in the public domain?
Yes. Frances Sargent Osgood died in 1850; the words were in print by 1848 and the music in 1839. Everyone named died before 1955 and both were published before 1929, so the hymn is out of copyright in the UK, the EU, the United States and Nigeria. Modern arrangements and translations can still be under copyright.