Depth of Mercy! Can There Be in Tonic Solfa
Depth of Mercy! Can There Be in Tonic Solfa to HOLLINGSIDE, doh is D: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 6 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mDepth-sof-lmer--scy!- | scan--ftherembe--- |
| d'Mer--tcy-lstill-sre-- | mserved-dfor-rme?--- |
| mCan-smy-lGod-shis- | swrath--ffor-mbear?--- |
| mMe,-fthe-mchief-rof- | msin---rners,dspare?--- |
| dI-fhave-mlong-fwith-- | tastood-lhis-sgrace,--- |
| lLong-lpro--tvoked-d'him- | fto-mhis-rface,--- |
| mWould-snot-lhear--sken- | sto--fhismcalls,--- |
| mGrieved-fhim-mby-ra- | mthou---rsanddfalls.--- |
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- Key
- D major
- Doh
- D
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- m (F♯)
- Range
- d to d' (D to D, an octave)
- Tune
- HOLLINGSIDE
- Words
- Charles Wesley, John Wesley
- Music
- John Bacchus Dykes
Tune HOLLINGSIDE by John Bacchus Dykes (1823–1876); words by Charles Wesley (1707–1788) or John Wesley (1703–1791). 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
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
Depth of mercy! can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God his wrath forbear?
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?
I have long withstood his grace,
Long provoked him to his face,
Would not hearken to his calls,
Grieved him by a thousand falls.
I have spilt his precious blood,
Trampled on the Son of God,
Filled with pangs unspeakable,
I, who yet am not in hell!
Whence to me this waste of love?
Ask my Advocate above!
See the cause in Jesu's face,
Now before the throne of grace.
Lo! I cumber still the ground:
Lo! an Advocate is found:
"Hasten not to cut l him down,
Let this barren soul alone."
Jesus speaks, and pleads his blood!
He disarms the wrath of God;
Now my Father's bowels move,
Justice lingers into love.
Kindled his relentings are,
Me he now delights to spare,
Cries, "How shall I give thee up?"
Lets the lifted thunder drop.
There for me the Saviour stands;
Shows his wounds, and spreads his hands!
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps, and loves me still.
Jesus, answer from above,
Is not all thy nature love?
Wilt thou not the wrong forget,
Suffer me to kiss thy feet?
If I rightly read thy heart,
If thou all compassion art,
Bow thine ear, in mercy bow,
Pardon and accept me now.
Pity from thine eye let fall,
By a look my soul recall;
Now the stone to flesh convert,
Cast a look, and break my heart.
Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my fall lament,
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.
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 m (F♯).
- 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 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 Wesley printed these words in A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists (1780), hymn 168. They first appeared in a book he and his brother Charles published together, and the Collection's own index cannot say which of the two wrote them.
The book printed the words without tunes. They are in Sevens Double (7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7), and this page sets them to HOLLINGSIDE; any other Sevens Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
- Words: John Wesley (1703–1791)
- Music (1861): John Bacchus Dykes (1823–1876)
Tune HOLLINGSIDE by John Bacchus Dykes (1823–1876); words by Charles Wesley (1707–1788) or John Wesley (1703–1791).
Sung to the same tune: A Believer, Free from Care, After All That I Have Done, Does the Gospel-word Proclaim, Fix My Heart and Eyes on Thine, Hark! the Song of Jubilee, Let Us Join, ('Tis God Commands), Let Us Join, as God Commands, Lord, Have Mercy When We Pray, Lord, in Heaven, Thy Dwelling-place, Pilgrim, Burdened with Thy Sin, See How Great a Flame Aspires.
Questions about Depth of Mercy! Can There Be
What is the doh of Depth of Mercy! Can There Be?
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 Depth of Mercy! Can There Be start on?
It starts on m (F♯ in D major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Depth of Mercy! Can There Be in the public domain?
Yes. Charles Wesley died in 1788, John Wesley died in 1791, John Bacchus Dykes died in 1876; the words were in print by 1780 and the music in 1861. 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.