Centre of Our Hopes Thou Art in Tonic Solfa

Centre of Our Hopes Thou Art in Tonic Solfa to RATISBON (WERNER), doh is D: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 3 verses and a piano.

The solfa with the words

Doh is D4/4

sCen--stre-lof-tour-

d'hopes-d'thou-tart,---

lEnd-d'of-sour-men--

flarged-rde--dsires;---

mStamp-mthine-ri--mmage-

fon-four-mheart,---

mFill-lus-senow-lwith-

theav--tenly-lfires;---

d'Ce--lment--sed-mby-

flove-fdi--mvine,---

lSeal-lour-ssouls-mfor-

rev--rer-dthine.---

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Key: D major
Doh: D
Time: 4/4
Starts on: s (A)
Range: d to d' (D to D, an octave)
Tune: RATISBON (WERNER)
Words: Charles Wesley
Music: Werner's Choralbuch, William Henry Havergal

Tune RATISBON (WERNER) by William Henry Havergal (1793–1870); words by Charles Wesley (1707–1788). 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 D · 4/4

| s - s - l - t - Centre of our| d' - d' - t - - - |hopes thou art,

| l - d' - s - m - End of our en-| f - r - d - - - |larged desires;

| m - m - r - m - Stamp thine image| f - f - m - - - |on our heart,

| m - l - se - l - Fill us now with| t - t - l - - - |heavenly fires;

| d' - l - s - m - Cemented by| f - f - m - - - |love divine,

| l - l - s - m - Seal our souls for| r - r - d - - - |ever thine.

Staff notation

The melody on the treble staff in D major, with the first verse under the notes.

The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.

The words

Centre of our hopes thou art,
End of our enlarged desires;
Stamp thine image on our heart,
Fill us now with heavenly fires;
Cemented by love divine,
Seal our souls for ever thine.

All our works in thee be wrought,
Levelled at one common aim;
Every word, and every thought,
Purge in the refining flame:
Lead us through the paths of peace,
On to perfect holiness.

Let us all together rise,
To thy glorious life restored,
Here regain our paradise,
Here prepare to meet our Lord;
Here enjoy the earnest given,
Travel hand in hand to heaven!

How to sing it from the solfa

Find doh first. Play or hum D 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 s (A).
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 se. 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

Charles Wesley wrote these words. His brother John printed them in A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists (1780), hymn 512.

The book printed the words without tunes. They are in Sevens, six lines (7.7.7.7.7.7), and this page sets them to RATISBON (WERNER); any other Sevens, six lines tune fits them as well.

Words: Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
Melody (1815): Werner's Choralbuch
Harmony (1861): William Henry Havergal (1793–1870)

Tune RATISBON (WERNER) by William Henry Havergal (1793–1870); words by Charles Wesley (1707–1788).

Sung to the same tune: As the Hart, with Eager Looks, Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies, Ever Patient, Loving, Meek, Holy Spirit, Come with Power, It Is Finished! Glorious Word, Jesu, Shepherd of the Sheep, Jesus, I Believe Thee Near, Jesus, While He Dwelt Below, Lamb of God, Who Bear'st Away, On Thy Church, O Power Divine, Praise to God, Immortal Praise, Quiet, Lord, My Froward Heart, Safely Through Another Week, Savior Shine and Cheer My Soul, Weary Souls, That Wander Wide, When the Parting Bosom Bleeds, Who Shall Towards Thy Chosen Seat.

Questions about Centre of Our Hopes Thou Art

What is the doh of Centre of Our Hopes Thou Art?

In this version, in D major, doh is D. 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 Centre of Our Hopes Thou Art start on?

It starts on s (A in D major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to s.

Is Centre of Our Hopes Thou Art in the public domain?

Yes. Charles Wesley died in 1788, William Henry Havergal died in 1870; the words were in print by 1780 and the music in 1815. 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.