Pilgrim, Burdened with Thy Sin in Tonic Solfa
Pilgrim, Burdened with Thy Sin in Tonic Solfa to HOLLINGSIDE, doh is D: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 3 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mPil--sgrim,-lbur--sdened- | swith--fthymsin,--- |
| d'Come-tthe-lway-sto- | mZi--don's-rgate,--- |
| mThere,-still-lmer--scy- | sspeaks--fwith-min,--- |
| mKnock,-fand-mweep,-rand- | mwatch--randdwait--- |
| dKnock-fhe-mknows-fthe- | tasin--lner's-scry,--- |
| lWeep-lhe-tloves-d'the- | fmourn--mer's-rtears,--- |
| mWatch-sfor-lsa--sving- | sgrace--fismnigh,--- |
| mWait-ftill-mheav--renly- | mgrace--rap-dpears.--- |
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- Key
- D major
- Doh
- D
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- m (F♯)
- Range
- d to d' (D to D, an octave)
- Tune
- HOLLINGSIDE
- Words
- John Bowring
- Music
- John Bacchus Dykes
Tune HOLLINGSIDE by John Bacchus Dykes (1823–1876); words by John Bowring (1792–1872). 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 · 4/4
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
Pilgrim, burdened with thy sin,
Come the way to Zion's gate,
There, till mercy speaks within,
Knock, and weep, and watch and wait —
Knock — he knows the sinner's cry,
Weep — he loves the mourner's tears,
Watch — for saving grace is nigh,
Wait — till heavenly grace appears.
Hark, it is thy Saviour's voice!
"Welcome, pilgrim, to thy rest."
Now within the gate rejoice,
Safe, and owned, and bought and blest —
Safe — from all the lures of vice,
Owned — by joys the contrite know,
Bought — by love and life the price,
Blest — the mighty debt to owe!
Holy pilgrim! what for thee,
In a world like this, remains?
From thy guarded breast shall flee
Fear, and shame, and doubt and pains —
Fear — the hope of heaven shall fly,
Shame — from glory's view retire,
Doubt — in full belief shall die,
Pain — in endless bliss expire.
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 m (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 and the chromatic ta. 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 Bowring wrote these words. They were printed in Hymns for Christian Devotion, compiled by John G. Adams and Edwin H. Chapin (Boston, 1846), as hymn 270 of its twenty-second edition (1853), “Invitation”.
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 HOLLINGSIDE; any other Sevens Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: John Bowring (1792–1872)
- Music (1861): John Bacchus Dykes (1823–1876)
Tune HOLLINGSIDE by John Bacchus Dykes (1823–1876); words by John Bowring (1792–1872).
Sung to the same tune: A Believer, Free from Care, After All That I Have Done, Depth of Mercy! Can There Be, Does the Gospel-word Proclaim, Fix My Heart and Eyes on Thine, Hark! the Song of Jubilee, Let Us Join, ('Tis God Commands), Let Us Join, as God Commands, Lord, Have Mercy When We Pray, Lord, in Heaven, Thy Dwelling-place, See How Great a Flame Aspires.
Questions about Pilgrim, Burdened with Thy Sin
What is the doh of Pilgrim, Burdened with Thy Sin?
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 Pilgrim, Burdened with Thy Sin start on?
It starts on m (F♯ in D major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Pilgrim, Burdened with Thy Sin in the public domain?
Yes. John Bowring died in 1872, John Bacchus Dykes died in 1876; the words were in print by 1853 and the music in 1861. 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.