In Vain My Fancy Strives to Paint in Tonic Solfa

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.

Staff notation

The melody on the treble staff in F major, with the first verse under the notes.

The words

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 word “In”, 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 and the chromatic fe. 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 Newton wrote these words. They were printed in Olney Hymns (London, 1779), Book II, hymn 72, “On the death of a believer”.

The book printed the words without tunes, marked Common Metre (8.6.8.6), to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to YORK; any other Common Metre tune fits them as well.

• Words: John Newton (1725–1807)
• Melody (1615): Scottish Psalter

Tune YORK (Scottish Psalter); words by John Newton (1725–1807).

Sung to the same tune: Affliction Is a Stormy Deep, Again the Lord of Life and Light, All Men Are Equal in Their Birth, Almighty God, Thy Word Is Cast, Almighty God! Thy Wondrous Works, Am I an Israelite Indeed, And Is This Life Prolong'd to Me, And Now, My Soul, Another Year, Another Hand Is Beckoning Us, Attend While God's Exalted Son, Author of Good, to Thee We Turn, Backward with Humble Shame We Look, Be Thou, O God, by Night, by Day, Before Thy Cross We Take Our Place, Behold the Sure Foundation-stone, Behold, on Zion's Heavenly Shore, Bitter, Indeed, the Waters Are, Bleak Winter Is Subdued at Length, Bless'd Morning, Whose Young Dawning Rays, Come Happy Souls, Approach Your God, Come, Children, Learn to Fear the Lord, Father in Heaven, to Thee My Heart, Father of Mercies, in Thy Word, For Ever Here My Rest Shall Be, Forth Went the Heralds of the Cross, Fountain of Mercy, God of Love, From Pole to Pole Let Others Roam, God Moves in a Mysterious Way, God of My Life, Look Gently Down, Good Is the Lord, the Heavenly King, Great God, with Wonder and with Praise, Great God! to Me the Sight Afford, Great Is the Lord; His Works of Might, Hail! Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Happy Are They, to Whom the Lord, Help, Lord, for Men of Virtue Fail, Here at Bethesda's Pool, the Poor, How Are Thy Servants Blest, O Lord, How Shall the Young Secure Their Hearts, How Sweet, How Calm, This Sabbath Morn, I Set the Lord Before My Face, I Want a Principle Within, I Was a Groveling Creature Once, In All My Vast Concerns with Thee, In Trouble and in Grief, O God, Incarnate God! the Soul That Knows, Indulgent God, Whose Bounteous Care, It Is a Faith Sublime and Sure, Jehovah God! Thy Gracious Power, Jesus His Empire Shall Extend, Let Others Boast How Strong They Be, Life Is a Span, — a Fleeting Hour, Lord, It Belongs Not to My Care, Lord, We Confess Our Numerous Faults, Manna to Israel Well Supplied, Millions of Souls, in Glory Now, My God, the Steps of Pious Men, My God! How Perfect Are Thy Ways, My Never-ceasing Songs Shall Show, Now Let Our Prayers Ascend to Thee, O 'Tis a Lovely Thing to See, O God of Mercy! Hear My Call, O God, I Love Thee, Not Alone, O God, My Refuge, Hear My Cries, O Lord, My Best Desire Fulfill, O, Speed Thee, Christian, on Thy Way, Our Father! Through the Coming Year, Sin Has a Thousand Treacherous Arts, So Did the Hebrew Prophet Raise, Surpassing Great the Gift of God, Teach Me the Measure of My Days, Terrible Thought! Shall I Alone, The Book of Nature Open Lies, The Castle of the Human Heart, The Hoary Frost, the Fleecy Snow, The King, O Lord, with Songs of Praise, The Lord Ascended into Heaven, The Men Who Slight Thy Faithful Word, The Radiance of the Brightness, The Subtle Spider Often Weaves, The Winds Are Hushed; the Peaceful Moon, Thee, Jesus, Full of Truth and Grace, Thou Art the Way; to Thee Alone, Through Thee as We Together Came, Thus Saith the Lord Who Built the Heavens, Thus Saith the Lord, "the Spacious Fields, Thus Saith the Mercy of the Lord, Thy Kingdom, Lord, Forever Stands, We Love the Venerable House, What Shall I Render to My God, When All Thy Mercies, O My God, When God Reveal'd His Gracious Name, When Israel Sins, the Lord Reproves, When the Poor Pris'ner Through a Grate, While Men Grow Bold in Wicked Ways, Why Should This Earth Delight Us So, With My Whole Heart I've Sought Thy Face, Ye Sons of Men, a Feeble Race, Ye Sons of Pride, That Hate the Just, Zeal Is That Pure and Heavenly Flame, Zion Rejoice, and Judah Sing.