Joy Unspeakable in Tonic Solfa

Joy Unspeakable in Tonic Solfa to JOY UNSPEAKABLE: the solfa with the words, staff notation, the 4 verses and the refrain, and a piano.

The solfa with the words

Doh is Bb4/4

sIshave

d'found-d'His-m'grace-d'is-

d'all-lcom--splete,-sHessup-

spli--leth-teve--d'ry-

r'need;-----sWhilesI

d'sit-d'and-m'learn-d'at-

d'Je--lsus’-sfeet,-m'Im'am

r'free,-d'yes,-tfree-lin--

sdeed.-----sItsis

d'joy-d'un--m'speak-r'a-d'bleland

sfull-mof-sglo--d'ry,-

tFull-sof-tglo--r'ry,-

d'full-sof-d'glo-m'ry;sItsis

d'joy-d'un--m'speak-r'a-d'bleland

sfull-mof-sglo-d'ry,d'Oh,tthe

lhalf-r'has-d'nev-terlyettbeen

d'told.-----

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Key: Bb major
Doh: Bb
Time: 4/4
Starts on: s (F)
Range: m to m' (D to D, an octave)
Tune: JOY UNSPEAKABLE
Words: Barney Elliott Warren
Music: Barney Elliott Warren

Tune JOY UNSPEAKABLE by Barney Elliott Warren (1867–1951); words by Barney Elliott Warren (1867–1951). 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 Bb · 4/4

| s s I have| d' - d' - m' - d' - found His grace is| d' - l - s - s s |all complete, He sup-

| s - l - t - d' - plieth every| r' - - - - - s s |need; While I

| d' - d' - m' - d' - sit and learn at| d' - l - s - m' m' |Jesus’ feet, I am

| r' - d' - t - l - free, yes, free in-| s - - - - - s s |deed. It is

| d' - d' - m' r' d' l joy unspeakable and| s - m - s - d' - |full of glory,

| t - s - t - r' - Full of glory,| d' - s - d' m' s s |full of glory; It is

| d' - d' - m' r' d' l joy unspeakable and| s - m - s d' d' t |full of glory, Oh, the

| l - r' - d' t l t half has never yet been| d' - - - - - |told.

Staff notation

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

The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.

The words

I have found His grace is all complete,
He supplieth every need;
While I sit and learn at Jesus’ feet,
I am free, yes, free indeed.

Refrain

It is joy unspeakable and full of glory,
Full of glory, full of glory;
It is joy unspeakable and full of glory,
Oh, the half has never yet been told.

I have found the pleasure I once craved,
It is joy and peace within;
What a wondrous blessing, I am saved
From the awful gulf of sin.

I have found that hope so bright and clear,
Living in the realm of grace;
Oh, the Saviour’s presence is so near,
I can see His smiling face.

I have found the joy no tongue can tell,
How its waves of glory roll;
It is like a great o’erflowing well,
Springing up within my soul.

How to sing it from the solfa

Find doh first. Play or hum Bb 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 s (F), on the word “I”, 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 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

Barney E. Warren, an American hymn writer and minister of the Church of God (Anderson), wrote both the words and the tune JOY UNSPEAKABLE in 1900.

Words (1900): Barney Elliott Warren (1867–1951)
Music (1900): Barney Elliott Warren (1867–1951)

Questions about Joy Unspeakable

What is the doh of Joy Unspeakable?

In this version, in Bb major, doh is Bb. 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 Joy Unspeakable start on?

It starts on s (F in Bb major), a pickup on the word “I” before the first full bar. Find doh first, then sing up or down to s.

Is Joy Unspeakable in the public domain?

Yes. Barney Elliott Warren died in 1951, Barney Elliott Warren died in 1951; the words were first published in 1900 and the music in 1900. 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.