Holy Spirit, Source of Gladness in Tonic Solfa
Holy Spirit, Source of Gladness in Tonic Solfa to RUSTINGTON, doh is F: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 2 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| dHo---dly | fSpir--mit,-rsource--dof | t,glad--s,ness,-dShine-da-- |
| lmid-sthe-fclouds--sof | mnight;---rO'er-sour- |
| fewea--mri--rness--dand | t,sad--s,ness-rBreathe-dThy- |
| t,life,-s,and-l,shed--l,Thy | s,light!---s,Send-ta,us- |
| l,Thine--l,il-l,lu--dmi-- | dna--t,tion,-t,Ban--rish- |
| dall--dourdfears-fat- | rlength,---rRest-lup-- |
| son-tathis-lcon--sgre-- | fga--mtion,-rSpir--fit- |
| mof-run--l,fail--t,ing- | dStrength!--- |
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- Key
- F major
- Doh
- F
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- d (F)
- Range
- s, to ta (C to E♭, a tenth)
- Tune
- RUSTINGTON
- Words
- Anonymous
Tune RUSTINGTON by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848–1918); words by Anonymous. 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
Holy Spirit, source of gladness,
Shine amid the clouds of night;
O'er our weariness and sadness
Breathe Thy life, and shed Thy light!
Send us Thine illumination,
Banish all our fears at length,
Rest upon this congregation,
Spirit of unfailing Strength!
Let that love, which knows no measure,
Now in quickening showers descend,
Bringing us the richest treasure
Man can wish or God can send;
Hear our earnest supplication,
Every struggling heart release,
Rest upon this congregation,
Spirit of eternal Peace!
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 d (F), on the first syllable of “Holy”, 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 fe 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
These words were printed without an author's name in the supplement of the 1866 edition of A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion, compiled by Samuel Longfellow and Samuel Johnson (Boston, 1866), as hymn 483, “Come, Holy Spirit!”.
The book printed the words without tunes, marked Eights and Sevens Double (8.7.8.7.8.7.8.7), to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to RUSTINGTON; any other Eights and Sevens Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: Anonymous
- Music (1897): Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848–1918)
Tune RUSTINGTON by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848–1918); words by Anonymous.
Sung to the same tune: As the Serpent Raised by Moses, Hark! the Voice of Jesus Crying, Herald of the Lord's Salvation, May the Grace of Christ Our Savior, Righteous God! Whose Vengeful Phials, Savior, Visit Thy Plantation.
Questions about Holy Spirit, Source of Gladness
What is the doh of Holy Spirit, Source of Gladness?
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 Holy Spirit, Source of Gladness start on?
It starts on d (F in F major), a pickup on the first syllable of “Holy” before the first full bar. Find doh first, then sing up or down to d.
Is Holy Spirit, Source of Gladness in the public domain?
Yes. Charles Hubert Hastings Parry died in 1918; the words were in print by 1866 and the music in 1897. 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.