Jesus Bids Us Shine in Tonic Solfa
Jesus Bids Us Shine in Tonic Solfa to JESUS BIDS US SHINE: the solfa with the words, staff notation, the 3 verses, and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| dJe-s,suss,bidss,uss,shine-dwithra | dclear,-t,pure-t,light,--- | rLikes,as,lit-s,tles,can--rdle- | rburn-dingdinrthemnight;--- |
| mInfthismworldrofddark--m,ness,- | l,wed_t,mustl,_s,shine,--- | s,Yous,indyourrsmallmcor-sner,-fand | mI-rin-dmine.--- |
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- Key
- G major
- Doh
- G
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- d (G)
- Range
- m, to s (B to D, a tenth)
- Tune
- JESUS BIDS US SHINE
- Words
- Susan Warner
- Music
- Edwin Othello Excell
Tune JESUS BIDS US SHINE by Edwin Othello Excell (1851–1921); words by Susan Warner (1819–1885). 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
Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light,
Like a little candle burning in the night;
In this world of darkness, we must shine,
You in your small corner, and I in mine.
Jesus bids us shine, first of all for Him;
Well He sees and knows it if our light is dim;
He looks down from heaven, sees us shine,
You in your small corner, and I in mine.
Jesus bids us shine, then, for all around
Many kinds of darkness in this world abound:
Sin, and want, and sorrow—we must shine,
You in your small corner, and I in mine.
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 d (G).
- 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
Susan Warner wrote the words; the Cyber Hymnal gives The Little Corporal (Chicago, 1868) as their source. Edwin Othello Excell wrote the tune in 1884.
- Words (1868): Susan Warner (1819–1885)
- Music (1884): Edwin Othello Excell (1851–1921)
Questions about Jesus Bids Us Shine
What is the doh of Jesus Bids Us Shine?
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 Jesus Bids Us Shine start on?
It starts on d (G in G major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to d.
Is Jesus Bids Us Shine in the public domain?
Yes. Susan Warner died in 1885, Edwin Othello Excell died in 1921; the words were first published in 1868 and the music in 1884. 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.