Near the Cross in Tonic Solfa
Near the Cross in Tonic Solfa to NEAR THE CROSS: the solfa with the words, staff notation, the four verses and the refrain, and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mJe----fsus,-mkeep---rme- | dnear---l,the-l,cross,----- |
| s,There---da-dpre----mcious- | mfoun------rtain—----- |
| mFree---fto-mall,---ra- | dheal----l,ing-l,stream—----- |
| s,Flows---dfrom-dCal----t,v’ry’s- | rmoun------dtain.----- |
| mIn---sthe-scross,----- | fin---lthe-lcross,----- |
| sBe---lmy-sglo----mry- | mev------rer;----- |
| mTill---fmy-mrap----rtured- | dsoul---l,shall-l,find----- |
| s,Rest---dbe--dyond---t,the- | rriv------der.----- |
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- Key
- F major
- Doh
- F
- Time
- 6/4
- Starts on
- m (A)
- Range
- s, to l (C to D, a ninth)
- Tune
- NEAR THE CROSS
- Words
- Fanny Crosby
- Music
- William H. Doane
Tune NEAR THE CROSS by William H. Doane (1832–1915); words by Fanny Crosby (1820–1915). 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 · 6/4
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
Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain—
Free to all, a healing stream—
Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.
Refrain
In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and Mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.
Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadows o’er me.
Near the cross I’ll watch and wait
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.
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).
- 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
Fanny Crosby wrote the words, first published in 1869. The tune, NEAR THE CROSS, is by William H. Doane (1869).
- Words (1869): Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)
- Music (1869): William H. Doane (1832–1915)
Tune NEAR THE CROSS by William H. Doane (1832–1915); words by Fanny Crosby (1820–1915).
Questions about Near the Cross
What is the doh of Near the Cross?
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 Near the Cross start on?
It starts on m (A in F major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Near the Cross in the public domain?
Yes. Fanny Crosby died in 1915, William H. Doane died in 1915; the words were first published in 1869 and the music in 1869. 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.