Mary to Her Savior's Tomb in Tonic Solfa
Mary to Her Savior's Tomb in Tonic Solfa to WATCHMAN, doh is D: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 4 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| dMa----rry-mto---rher- | mSa----fvior's-stomb----- |
| sHast----med-sat---lthe- | sear----mly-rdawn;----- |
| dSpice---rshe-mbrought,---rand- | msweet---fper--sfume,----- |
| d'But---lthe-sLord,---rThe- | mloved,---rwas-dgone.----- |
| sFor---ma--d'while---lshe- | sweep----ming-d'stood,----- |
| sStruck---mwith-d'sor----lrow- | tand---lsur--sprise;----- |
| mShed----rding-dtears,---ra- | mplen----fteous-sflood,----- |
| d'For---lher-sheart---rsup-- | mplied---rher-deyes.----- |
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- Key
- D major
- Doh
- D
- Time
- 6/4
- Starts on
- d (D)
- Range
- d to d' (D to D, an octave)
- Tune
- WATCHMAN
- Words
- John Newton
- Music
- Lowell Mason
Tune WATCHMAN by Lowell Mason (1792–1872); words by John Newton (1725–1807). 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 D · 6/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in D major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
Mary to her Savior's tomb
Hasted at the early dawn;
Spice she brought, and sweet perfume,
But the Lord, The loved, was gone.
For awhile she weeping stood,
Struck with sorrow and surprise;
Shedding tears, a plenteous flood,
For her heart supplied her eyes.
Jesus, who is always near,
Though too often unperceived
Came, his drooping child to cheer,
And enquired, Why she grieved?
Though at first she knew him not,
When he called her by her name,
Then her griefs were all forgot,
For she found he was the same.
Grief and sighing quickly fled
When she heard his welcome voice;
Just before she thought him dead,
Now he bids her heart rejoice:
What a change his word can make,
Turning darkness into day!
You who weep for Jesus' sake;
He will wipe your tears away.
He who came to comfort her,
When she thought her all was lost;
Will for your relief appear,
Though you now are tempest-tossed:
On his word your burden cast,
On his love your thoughts employ;
Weeping for awhile may last,
But the morning brings the joy.
How to sing it from the solfa
- Find doh first. Play or hum D 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 (D).
- Count the time. 6/4 means six crotchet beats (two dotted minims) 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 Newton wrote these words. They were printed in Olney Hymns (London, 1779), Book I, hymn 117, “Weeping Mary Jn 20:11-16”.
The book printed the words without tunes, marked Sevens Double (7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7), to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to WATCHMAN; any other Sevens Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: John Newton (1725–1807)
- Music (1830): Lowell Mason (1792–1872)
Tune WATCHMAN by Lowell Mason (1792–1872); words by John Newton (1725–1807).
Sung to the same tune: Come, Thou High and Lofty Lord, Darkness Overspreads Us Here, Father, Lo! We Consecrate, Father, Son, and Spirit, Hear, Father! Thy Paternal Care, Gracious Lord, Our Children See, Guide Us, Lord! While, Hand in Hand, Meet and Right It Is to Praise, O My God, What Must I Do, Pleasing Spring Again Is Here, Time, by Moments, Steals Away, While with Ceaseless Course the Sun.
Questions about Mary to Her Savior's Tomb
What is the doh of Mary to Her Savior's Tomb?
In this version, in D major, doh is D. 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 Mary to Her Savior's Tomb start on?
It starts on d (D in D major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to d.
Is Mary to Her Savior's Tomb in the public domain?
Yes. John Newton died in 1807, Lowell Mason died in 1872; the words were in print by 1779 and the music in 1830. 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.