Ere God Had Built the Mountains in Tonic Solfa
Ere God Had Built the Mountains in Tonic Solfa to ANGEL'S STORY, doh is G: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 4 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mEre- | mGod--mhadrbuilt-dthe- | dmoun----t,tains,-s,Or- |
| fraised--fthemfruit--rful- | mhills;-----mBe-- |
| sfore--sheffilled-mthe- | mfoun----ftains-mThat- |
| rfeed--dthet,run--dning- | rrills;-----reIn- |
| mme,--mfromrev--der-- | dlast----t,ing,-s,The- |
| fwon---fder-mful-rI- | mAm,-----mFound- |
| lplea---ssuresfnev--mer- | swast----fing,-l,And- |
| dWis---t,doml,is-t,my- | dname.----- |
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- Key
- G major
- Doh
- G
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- m (B)
- Range
- s, to l (D to E, a ninth)
- Tune
- ANGEL'S STORY
- Words
- William Cowper
- Music
- Arthur Henry Mann
Tune ANGEL'S STORY by Arthur Henry Mann (1850–1929); words by William Cowper (1731–1800). 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 · 4/4
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
Ere God had built the mountains,
Or raised the fruitful hills;
Before he filled the fountains
That feed the running rills;
In me, from everlasting,
The wonderful I Am,
Found pleasures never wasting,
And Wisdom is my name.
When, like a tent to dwell in,
He spread the skies abroad;
And swathed about the swelling
Of ocean's mighty flood;.
He wrought by weight and measure,
And I was with him then;
Myself the Father's pleasure,
And mine, the sons of men.
Thus wisdom's words discover
Thy glory and thy grace,
Thou everlasting lover
Of our unworthy race!
Thy gracious eye surveyed us
Ere stars were seen above.
In wisdom thou hast made us,
And died for us in love.
And couldst thou be delighted
With creatures such as we!
Who when we saw thee, slighted
And nailed thee to a tree?
Unfathomable wonder,
And mystery divine!
The voice that speaks in thunder,
Says, "Sinner I am thine!"
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 m (B), on the word “Ere”, 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 re. 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
William Cowper wrote these words. They were printed in Olney Hymns (London, 1779), Book I, hymn 52, “Wisdom. Pr 8:22-31”.
The book printed the words without tunes, marked Sevens and Sixes Double (7.6.7.6.7.6.7.6), to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to ANGEL'S STORY; any other Sevens and Sixes Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: William Cowper (1731–1800)
- Music (1881): Arthur Henry Mann (1850–1929)
Tune ANGEL'S STORY by Arthur Henry Mann (1850–1929); words by William Cowper (1731–1800).
Sung to the same tune: “Come unto Me, Ye Weary, Go When the Morning Shineth, In the Broad Fields of Heaven, O Jesus, I Have Promised, O Son of God, Afflicted, Through Jesus’ Blood and Merit, To Thee, My God and Saviour, To Thee, O Dear, Dear Savior, To-day Thy Mercy Calls Us, When, His Salvation Bringing.
Questions about Ere God Had Built the Mountains
What is the doh of Ere God Had Built the Mountains?
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 Ere God Had Built the Mountains start on?
It starts on m (B in G major), a pickup on the word “Ere” before the first full bar. Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Ere God Had Built the Mountains in the public domain?
Yes. William Cowper died in 1800, Arthur Henry Mann died in 1929; the words were in print by 1779 and the music in 1881. 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.