Happy Man Whom God Doth Aid in Tonic Solfa
Happy Man Whom God Doth Aid in Tonic Solfa to MESSIAH (HERALD), doh is F: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 3 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mHap---rpydman-dwhom- | fGod--mdothraid!--- |
| sGod--lourlsouls-sand- | mbod--dies-rmade;--- |
| mGod--rondus,-din- | fgra---mciousrshowers,--- |
| sBless---lingssev--mery- | rmo---dmentdpours;--- |
| t,Com---dpass-res-fwith- | man---rgeldbands,--- |
| rBids--mthemfbear-lus- | sin--ftheirmhands;--- |
| mPar---rents,dfriends,-d'twas- | fGod--mbe-rstowed,--- |
| sLife,--landsall,-mde-- | rscend--dfromdGod.--- |
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- Key
- F major
- Doh
- F
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- m (A)
- Range
- t, to l (E to D, a seventh)
- Tune
- MESSIAH (HERALD)
- Words
- Charles Wesley
Tune MESSIAH (HERALD) by Louis J. F. Herold (died undefined) and George Kingsley (died undefined); 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 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
Happy man whom God doth aid!
God our souls and bodies made;
God on us, in gracious showers,
Blessings every moment pours;
Compasses with angel-bands,
Bids them bear us in their hands;
Parents, friends, 'twas God bestowed,
Life, and all, descend from God.
He this flowery carpet spread,
Made the earth on which we tread;
God refreshes in the air,
Covers with the clothes we wear,
Feeds us with the food we eat,
Cheers us by his light and heat,
Makes his sun on us to shine;
All our blessings are divine!
Give him then, and ever give,
Thanks for all that we receive!
Man we for his kindness love,
How much more our God above?
Worthy thou, our heavenly Lord,
To be honoured and adored;
God of all-creating grace,
Take the everlasting praise!
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 m (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. 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 233.
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 MESSIAH (HERALD); any other Sevens Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
- Music (1839): Louis J. F. Herold (died undefined)
- Arranged (1839): George Kingsley (died undefined)
Tune MESSIAH (HERALD) by Louis J. F. Herold (died undefined) and George Kingsley (died undefined); words by Charles Wesley (1707–1788).
Sung to the same tune: 'Tis My Happiness Below, Blessing, Honour, Thanks, and Praise, Bound upon the Accursed Tree, Come, and Let Us Sweetly Join, Faint the Earth, and Parched with Drought, God of Love, We Look to Thee, Grace, Triumphant in the Throne, Happy Soul Who Sees the Day, Hark! How Time's Wide Sounding Bell, Jesus, We Thy Promise Claim, Let the Beasts Their Breath Resign, Lord! Thou Didst Arise and Say, Oft in Vain the Voice of Truth, Sinner, Art Thou Still Secure.
Questions about Happy Man Whom God Doth Aid
What is the doh of Happy Man Whom God Doth Aid?
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 Happy Man Whom God Doth Aid start on?
It starts on m (A in F major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Happy Man Whom God Doth Aid in the public domain?
Yes. Charles Wesley died in 1788, Louis J. F. Herold died in undefined, George Kingsley died in undefined; the words were in print by 1780 and the music in 1839. 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.