Gracious Lord, Our Children See in Tonic Solfa
Gracious Lord, Our Children See in Tonic Solfa to WATCHMAN, doh is D: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 3 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| dGra----rcious-mLord,---rour- | mchild----fren-ssee,----- |
| sBy---mthy-smer----lcy- | swe---mare-rfree;----- |
| dBut---rshall-mthese,---ra-- | mlas!---fre--smain----- |
| d'Sub----ljects-sstill---rof- | mSa----rtan's-dreign?----- |
| sIs----mrael's-d'young---lones,- | swhen---mof-d'old----- |
| sPha----mraoh-d'threat----lened- | tto---lwith--shold;----- |
| mThen---rthy-dmes----rsen-- | mger---fsaid,-s"No;----- |
| d'Let---lthe-schild----rren- | mal----rso-dgo."----- |
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- Key
- D major
- Doh
- D
- Time
- 6/4
- Starts on
- d (D)
- Range
- d to d' (D to D, an octave)
- Tune
- WATCHMAN
- Words
- William Cowper
- Music
- Lowell Mason
Tune WATCHMAN by Lowell Mason (1792–1872); 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 D · 6/4
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
Gracious Lord, our children see,
By thy mercy we are free;
But shall these, alas! remain
Subjects still of Satan's reign?
Israel's young ones, when of old
Pharaoh threatened to withhold;
Then thy messenger said, "No;
Let the children also go."
When the angel of the Lord
Drawing forth his dreadful sword,
Slew, with an avenging hand,
All the first-born of the land:
Then thy peoples' doors he passed,
Where the bloody sign was placed;
Hear us, now, upon our knees,
Plead the blood of Christ for these!
Lord we tremble, for we know
How the fierce malicious foe;
Wheeling round his watchful flight,
Keeps them ever in his sight:
Spread thy pinions, King of kings!
Hide them safe beneath thy wings;
Lest the rav'nous bird of prey
Stoop, and bear the brood away.
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 d (D).
- Count the time. 6/4 means six crotchet beats (two dotted minims) 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
William Cowper wrote these words. They were printed in Olney Hymns (London, 1779), Book II, hymn 12, “Prayer for children”.
The book printed the words without tunes, marked Sevens Double (7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7), to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to WATCHMAN; any other Sevens Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: William Cowper (1731–1800)
- Music (1830): Lowell Mason (1792–1872)
Tune WATCHMAN by Lowell Mason (1792–1872); words by William Cowper (1731–1800).
Sung to the same tune: Come, Thou High and Lofty Lord, Darkness Overspreads Us Here, Father, Lo! We Consecrate, Father, Son, and Spirit, Hear, Father! Thy Paternal Care, Guide Us, Lord! While, Hand in Hand, Mary to Her Savior's Tomb, Meet and Right It Is to Praise, O My God, What Must I Do, Pleasing Spring Again Is Here, Time, by Moments, Steals Away, While with Ceaseless Course the Sun.
Questions about Gracious Lord, Our Children See
What is the doh of Gracious Lord, Our Children See?
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 Gracious Lord, Our Children See start on?
It starts on d (D in D major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to d.
Is Gracious Lord, Our Children See in the public domain?
Yes. William Cowper died in 1800, Lowell Mason died in 1872; the words were in print by 1779 and the music in 1830. 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.