Let Us Tune Our Hearts and Voices in Tonic Solfa
Let Us Tune Our Hearts and Voices in Tonic Solfa to STABAT MATER (MAINZ), doh is F: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 5 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| dLet-rus-mtune-rour- | mhearts-sand-fvoi--mces—- |
| mAll-rcre--da--t,tion- | l,wide-t,re--l,joi--s,ces,- |
| rFor-da-rSa--mviour- | rhas--dbeendborn;--- |
| dGiven-rto-mman,-rhis- | mweak--sness-fwear--ming,- |
| mDwell--ring-dwith-t,the- | l,sad-t,de--l,spair--s,ing,- |
| rLight-dand-rhealth-mour- | rlife--da-ddorn.--- |
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- Key
- F major
- Doh
- F
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- d (F)
- Range
- s, to s (C to C, an octave)
- Tune
- STABAT MATER (MAINZ)
- Words
- Traditional Latin, John Brownlie
- Music
- Gesangbuch, Mainz
Tune STABAT MATER (MAINZ) (Gesangbuch, Mainz); words by Traditional Latin; translated by John Brownlie (1857–1925). 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 · 4/4
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 us tune our hearts and voices—
All creation wide rejoices,
For a Saviour has been born;
Given to man, his weakness wearing,
Dwelling with the sad despairing,
Light and health our life adorn.
From the midst of Eden’s gladness
Came the dower of death and sadness,
But the Saviour’s life is ours.
Banished now are death and sorrow;
Life and joy from Christ we borrow,
More dwelt in Eden’s bowers.
From the height of heaven above us,
God looked down on earth to love us,
And He sent His only Son.
Now no more His face concealing,
Bridegroom like, His grace revealing,
Came He forth His work begun.
Swift and strong, a giant glorious,
O’er our death He came victorious,
Girt with power His course to run.
Came he forth salvation willing,
Law and prophecy fulfilling,
Till the task assayed is done.
Jesus, who hast brought salvation,
Healing balm for every nation,
Thou our glory art and peace.
Praise Thy glorious deeds shall mention,
Who in humble condescension,
Cam’st Thy servants to release.
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).
- 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
John Brownlie translated these words from the Latin hymns of the early Church for Hymns of the Early Church (London, 1896), where he gives them as “By Adam of St. Victor”, headed “_Christmas_”.
The book printed the words without tunes. They are in 8.8.7.8.8.7, and this page sets them to STABAT MATER (MAINZ); any other 8.8.7.8.8.7 tune fits them as well.
- Words: Traditional Latin
- Translated (1896): John Brownlie (1857–1925)
- Melody (1661): Gesangbuch, Mainz
Tune STABAT MATER (MAINZ) (Gesangbuch, Mainz); words by Traditional Latin; translated by John Brownlie (1857–1925).
Sung to the same tune: Broken Are the Bands That Bound Us.
Questions about Let Us Tune Our Hearts and Voices
What is the doh of Let Us Tune Our Hearts and Voices?
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 Us Tune Our Hearts and Voices start on?
It starts on d (F in F major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to d.
Is Let Us Tune Our Hearts and Voices in the public domain?
Yes. John Brownlie died in 1925; the words were in print by 1896 and the music in 1661. 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.