As the Serpent Raised by Moses in Tonic Solfa
As the Serpent Raised by Moses in Tonic Solfa to RUSTINGTON, doh is F: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 5 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| dAs--dthe | fser--mpent-rraised--dby | t,Mo--s,ses-dHealed-dthe- |
| lburn--sing-fser---spent's | mbite;---rJe--ssus- |
| fethus-mhim--rself--ddis- | t,clo--s,ses-rTo-dthe- |
| t,woun--s,ded-l,sin---l,ner's | s,sight:---s,Hear-ta,his- |
| l,gra---l,ciousl,in--dvi-- | dta--t,tion,-t,"I-rhave- |
| dlife--danddpeace-fto- | rgive,---rI-lhave- |
| swrought-taout-lfull-ssal-- | fva--mtion,-rSin--fner,- |
| mlook-rto-l,me-t,and- | dlive.--- |
Got your choir's recording? Get it in solfa →
Download the solfa (PDF)A4, free to print and share with your choir
- Key
- F major
- Doh
- F
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- d (F)
- Range
- s, to ta (C to E♭, a tenth)
- Tune
- RUSTINGTON
- Words
- John Newton
Tune RUSTINGTON by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848–1918); words by John Newton (1725–1807). 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 F · 4/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in F major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
As the serpent raised by Moses
Healed the burning serpent's bite;
Jesus thus himself discloses
To the wounded sinner's sight:
Hear his gracious invitation,
"I have life and peace to give,
I have wrought out full salvation,
Sinner, look to me and live.
Pore upon your sins no longer,
Well I know their mighty guilt;
But my love than death is stronger,
I my blood have freely spilt:
Though your heart has long been hardened,
Look on me--it soft shall grow;
Past transgressions shall be pardoned,
And I'll wash you white as snow.
I have seen what you were doing,
Though you little thought of me;
You were madly bent on ruin,
But I said--It shall not be:
You had been for ever wretched,
Had I not espoused your part;
Now behold my arms outstretched
To receive you to my heart.
Well may shame, and joy, and wonder,
All your inward passions move;
I could crush thee with my thunder,
But I speak to thee in love:
See! your sins are all forgiven,
I have paid the countless sum!
Now my death has opened heaven,
Thither you shall shortly come."
Dearest Savior, we adore thee
For thy precious life and death;
Melt each stubborn heart before thee,
Give us all the eye of faith:
From the law's condemning sentence,
To thy mercy we appeal;
Thou alone canst give repentance,
Thou alone our souls canst heal.
How to sing it from the solfa
- Find doh first. Play or hum F 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 (F), on the word “As”, as a pickup before the first full bar.
- Count the time. 4/4 means four 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 and the chromatic fe ta. 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
John Newton wrote these words. They were printed in Olney Hymns (London, 1779), Book I, hymn 61, “Look unto me, and be ye saved. Isa 45:22”.
The book printed the words without tunes, marked Eights and Sevens Double (8.7.8.7.8.7.8.7), to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to RUSTINGTON; any other Eights and Sevens Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: John Newton (1725–1807)
- Music (1897): Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848–1918)
Tune RUSTINGTON by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848–1918); words by John Newton (1725–1807).
Sung to the same tune: Hark! the Voice of Jesus Crying, Herald of the Lord's Salvation, Holy Spirit, Source of Gladness, May the Grace of Christ Our Savior, Righteous God! Whose Vengeful Phials, Savior, Visit Thy Plantation.
Questions about As the Serpent Raised by Moses
What is the doh of As the Serpent Raised by Moses?
In this version, in F major, doh is F. 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 As the Serpent Raised by Moses start on?
It starts on d (F in F major), a pickup on the word “As” before the first full bar. Find doh first, then sing up or down to d.
Is As the Serpent Raised by Moses in the public domain?
Yes. John Newton died in 1807, Charles Hubert Hastings Parry died in 1918; the words were in print by 1779 and the music in 1897. 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.