Let Not the Wise His Wisdom Boast in Tonic Solfa
Let Not the Wise His Wisdom Boast in Tonic Solfa to SAVED BY GRACE, doh is F: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 2 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mLetmnotfthe | mwise--rhiss,wis-rdom | dboast,--dThet,might-dy | fglo---mryrin-,l,his | rmight,--mThemrichfin |
| mflat---rterings,rich-res | dtrust,--mWhichrtakemtheir | sev-fer-mlast---ring | dflight.--mThemrushsof |
| snu---lmerousmyearssbears | sdown--sThesmostfgi- | fgan-stictstrength--lof | sman;--mAndmwheresis |
| sall--lhismwis-sdom | sgone,--sWhensdustdhe | dturnsftomdust--ra- | dgain?-- |
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- Key
- F major
- Doh
- F
- Time
- 3/4
- Starts on
- m (A)
- Range
- s, to t (C to E, a tenth)
- Tune
- SAVED BY GRACE
- Words
- Charles Wesley
- Music
- George C. Stebbins
Tune SAVED BY GRACE by George C. Stebbins (1846–1945); words by Charles Wesley (1707–1788). 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 · 3/4
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
Let not the wise his wisdom boast,
The mighty glory in his might,
The rich in flattering riches trust,
Which take their everlasting flight.
The rush of numerous years bears down
The most gigantic strength of man;
And where is all his wisdom gone,
When dust he turns to dust again?
One only gift can justify
The boasting soul that knows his God;
When Jesus doth his blood apply,
I glory in his sprinkled blood.
The Lord my Righteousness I praise;
I triumph in the love divine,
The wisdom, wealth, and strength of grace,
In Christ to endless ages mine.
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 m (A), on the word “Let”, as a pickup before the first full bar.
- Count the time. 3/4 means three 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. A cell split by a comma holds two quarter beats: d -,r is a dotted quaver and a semiquaver, d,r two semiquavers. That comma sits between two syllables; an octave mark sits small and low against its own letter (s,).
- 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
Charles Wesley wrote these words. His brother John printed them in A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists (1780), hymn 422.
The book printed the words without tunes. They are in Long Metre Double (8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8), and this page sets them to SAVED BY GRACE; any other Long Metre Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
- Music (1894): George C. Stebbins (1846–1945)
Tune SAVED BY GRACE by George C. Stebbins (1846–1945); words by Charles Wesley (1707–1788).
Sung to the same tune: Not Only Doth the Voiceful Day, Saved by Grace, Thou Art the Way — and He Who Sighs, When Called, O Lord, to Mourn the Doom, When Long the Soul Had Slept in Chains.
Questions about Let Not the Wise His Wisdom Boast
What is the doh of Let Not the Wise His Wisdom Boast?
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 Let Not the Wise His Wisdom Boast start on?
It starts on m (A in F major), a pickup on the word “Let” before the first full bar. Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Let Not the Wise His Wisdom Boast in the public domain?
Yes. Charles Wesley died in 1788, George C. Stebbins died in 1945; the words were in print by 1780 and the music in 1894. 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.