Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us in Tonic Solfa
Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us in Tonic Solfa to MANNHEIM: the solfa with the words, staff notation, the three verses, and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| dLead-mus,-sheav’n--sly- | lFa--sther,-flead-mus- |
| mO’er-fthe-sworld’s-dtem-- | mpes--rtuous-dsea;--- |
| sGuard-sus,-lguide-sus,- | takeep-lus,-lfeed-sus,- |
| sFor-rwe-mhave-lno- | shelp-febut-sThee;--- |
| dYet-mpos--ssess--sing- | lev--s’ry-fbless--ming- |
| mIf-four-sGod-dour- | mFa--rther-dbe.--- |
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- Key
- E major
- Doh
- E
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- d (E)
- Range
- d to ta (E to C𝄪, a seventh)
- Tune
- MANNHEIM
- Words
- James Edmeston
- Music
- Friedrich Filitz
Tune MANNHEIM by Friedrich Filitz (1804–1876); words by James Edmeston (1791–1867). 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 E · 4/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in E major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
O’er the world’s tempestuous sea;
Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,
For we have no help but Thee;
Yet possessing every blessing
If our God our Father be.
Saviour, breathe forgiveness o’er us;
All our weakness Thou dost know;
Thou didst tread this earth before us,
Thou didst feel its keenest woe;
Lone and dreary, faint and weary,
Through the desert Thou didst go.
Spirit of our God, descending,
Fill our hearts with heavenly joy,
Love with every passion blending,
Pleasure that can never cloy;
Thus provided, pardoned, guided,
Nothing can our peace destroy.
How to sing it from the solfa
- Find doh first. Play or hum E 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 (E).
- 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 ta 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
James Edmeston wrote the words in 1821 for the children of the London Orphanage Asylum; they appeared in his Sacred Lyrics. The tune MANNHEIM is by Friedrich Filitz, from his chorale book of 1847.
- Words (1821): James Edmeston (1791–1867)
- Music (1847): Friedrich Filitz (1804–1876)
Tune MANNHEIM by Friedrich Filitz (1804–1876); words by James Edmeston (1791–1867).
Sung to the same tune: Alleluia, Hymn of Sweetness, Gracious Savior, Gentle Shepherd, Terror Grim the Soul Oppresses, Thirty Years by God Appointed.
Questions about Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us
What is the doh of Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us?
In this version, in E major, doh is E. 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 Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us start on?
It starts on d (E in E major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to d.
Is Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us in the public domain?
Yes. James Edmeston died in 1867, Friedrich Filitz died in 1876; the words were first published in 1821 and the music in 1847. 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.