Lord, I’m Coming Home in Tonic Solfa
Lord, I’m Coming Home in Tonic Solfa to COMING HOME: the solfa with the words, staff notation, the six verses and the refrain, and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| s,I’ve- | mwan---mdereddfar--da- | l,wayd_-l,froms,God,--- |
| dNow-dI’m-mcom-ming-- | rhome;-----s,The- |
| mpaths--mofdsin--dtoo | l,longd_-l,I’ves,trod,--- |
| dLord,-dI’m-rcom-ring-- | dhome.------- |
| mCom-ming--dhome,--- | dcom-ding--l,home,--- |
| s,Nev--mer--mmore-dto- | rroam;------- |
| mO---mpendwide--dThine | l,armsd_-l,ofs,love,--- |
| dLord,-dI’m-rcom-ring-- | dhome.----- |
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- Key
- Ab major
- Doh
- Ab
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- s, (E♭)
- Range
- s, to m (E♭ to C, a sixth)
- Tune
- COMING HOME
Tune COMING HOME by William James Kirkpatrick (1838–1921); words by William James Kirkpatrick (1838–1921). 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 Ab · 4/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in Ab major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
I’ve wandered far away from God,
Now I’m coming home;
The paths of sin too long I’ve trod,
Lord, I’m coming home.
Refrain
Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam;
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.
I’ve wasted many precious years,
Now I’m coming home;
I now repent with bitter tears,
Lord, I’m coming home.
I’m tired of sin and straying, Lord,
Now I’m coming home;
I’ll trust Thy love, believe Thy word,
Lord, I’m coming home.
My soul is sick, my heart is sore,
Now I’m coming home;
My strength renew, my hope restore,
Lord, I’m coming home.
My only hope, my only plea,
Now I’m coming home;
That Jesus died, and died for me,
Lord, I’m coming home.
I need His cleansing blood I know,
Now I’m coming home;
Oh, wash me whiter than the snow,
Lord, I’m coming home.
How to sing it from the solfa
- Find doh first. Play or hum Ab 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, (E♭), on the word “I’ve”, 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 — only 5 different notes, so it is a good one for a choir new to solfa. 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
William J. Kirkpatrick wrote the words and the tune COMING HOME at a camp meeting in Rawlinsville, Pennsylvania; the song was published in Winning Songs (Philadelphia, 1892).
- Words (1892): William James Kirkpatrick (1838–1921)
- Music (1892): William James Kirkpatrick (1838–1921)
Tune COMING HOME by William James Kirkpatrick (1838–1921); words by William James Kirkpatrick (1838–1921).
Questions about Lord, I’m Coming Home
What is the doh of Lord, I’m Coming Home?
In this version, in Ab major, doh is Ab. 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 Lord, I’m Coming Home start on?
It starts on s, (E♭ in Ab major), a pickup on the word “I’ve” before the first full bar. Find doh first, then sing up or down to s,.
Is Lord, I’m Coming Home in the public domain?
Yes. William James Kirkpatrick died in 1921, William James Kirkpatrick died in 1921; the words were first published in 1892 and the music in 1892. 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.