Onward, Christian, Though the Region in Tonic Solfa
Onward, Christian, Though the Region in Tonic Solfa to STUTTGART, doh is G: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 5 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| s,On--s,ward,-dChris--dtian,- | rthough-rthe-mre--dgion- |
| sWhere-sthou-lart-fbe- | rdrear-sand-mlone;--- |
| mGod-mhath-rset-ma- | dguar--rdian-dle--t,gion- |
| dVe--l,ry-s,near-dthee,- | dpress-t,thou-don!--- |
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- Key
- G major
- Doh
- G
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- s, (D)
- Range
- s, to l (D to E, a ninth)
- Tune
- STUTTGART
- Words
- Anonymous
- Music
- Psalmodia Sacra, Gotha, Christian F. Witt, Johann G. C. Storl, Henry John Gauntlett
Tune STUTTGART by Christian F. Witt (died 1716), Johann G. C. Storl (died 1719) and Henry John Gauntlett (1805–1876); words by Anonymous. 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 G · 4/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in G major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
Onward, Christian, though the region
Where thou art be drear and lone;
God hath set a guardian legion
Very near thee, — press thou on!
By the thorn-wood, and none other,
Is the mount of vision won;
Tread it without shrinking, brother!
Jesus trod it, — press thou on!
By thy trustful, calm endeavor,
Guiding, cheering, like the sun,
Earth-bound hearts thou shalt deliver
O, for their sake, press thou on!
Be this world the wiser, stronger,
For thy life of pain and peace;
While it needs thee, O, no longer
Pray thou for thy quick release.
Pray thou, Christian, daily, rather,
That thou be a faithful son;
By the prayer of Jesus, — "Father,
Not my will, but thine, be done!"
How to sing it from the solfa
- Find doh first. Play or hum G 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, (D).
- 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
These words were printed without an author's name in Hymns for Christian Devotion, compiled by John G. Adams and Edwin H. Chapin (Boston, 1846), as hymn 720 of its twenty-second edition (1853), “Burden and Conflict of the Ministry”.
The book printed the words without tunes, marked Eights and Sevens (8.7.8.7), to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to STUTTGART; any other Eights and Sevens tune fits them as well.
- Words: Anonymous
- Melody (1715): Psalmodia Sacra, Gotha
- Music, attributed: Christian F. Witt (died 1716)
- Music, attributed: Johann G. C. Storl (died 1719)
- Arranged (1861): Henry John Gauntlett (1805–1876)
Tune STUTTGART by Christian F. Witt (died 1716), Johann G. C. Storl (died 1719) and Henry John Gauntlett (1805–1876); words by Anonymous.
Sung to the same tune: All Around Us, Fair with Flowers, From the Father’s Throne Descending, Hark! What Mean Those Holy Voices, Pillows, Wet with Tears of Anguish.
Questions about Onward, Christian, Though the Region
What is the doh of Onward, Christian, Though the Region?
In this version, in G major, doh is G. 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 Onward, Christian, Though the Region start on?
It starts on s, (D in G major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to s,.
Is Onward, Christian, Though the Region in the public domain?
Yes. Christian F. Witt died in 1716, Johann G. C. Storl died in 1719, Henry John Gauntlett died in 1876; the words were in print by 1853 and the music in 1715. 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.