See the Gloomy Gath'ring Cloud in Tonic Solfa
See the Gloomy Gath'ring Cloud in Tonic Solfa to MARTYN, doh is F: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 4 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mSee---mthe-mgloo----dmy- | rgath'----rring-rcloud----- |
| mHang----ming-so'er---fa- | msin------rful----- |
| dland!----------- | mSure---mthe-mLord---dpro-- |
| rclaims---ra--rloud,----- | mTimes---mof-strou----fble- |
| mare-----rat----- | dhand:----------- |
| sHap----spy-sthey,---swho- | llove-----lhis----- |
| sname!----------- | sThey---sshall-sal----sways- |
| lfind-----lhim----- | snear;----------- |
| mThough---mthe-mearth---dwere- | rwrapped---rin-rflame,----- |
| mThey---mhave-sno---fjust- | mcause-----rfor----- |
| dfear.----------- |
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- Key
- F major
- Doh
- F
- Time
- 6/4
- Starts on
- m (A)
- Range
- d to l (F to D, a sixth)
- Tune
- MARTYN
- Words
- John Newton
- Music
- Simeon B. Marsh
Tune MARTYN by Simeon B. Marsh (died undefined); 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 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
See the gloomy gath'ring cloud
Hanging o'er a sinful land!
Sure the Lord proclaims aloud,
Times of trouble are at hand:
Happy they, who love his name!
They shall always find him near;
Though the earth were wrapped in flame,
They have no just cause for fear.
Hark! his voice in accents mild,
(O, how comforting and sweet!)
Speaks to every humble child,
Pointing out a sure retreat!
Come, and in my chambers hide,
To my saints of old well known;
There you safely may abide,
Till the storm be overblown.
You have only to repose
On my wisdom, love, and care;
Where my wrath consumes my foes,
Mercy shall my children spare:
While they perish in the flood,
You that bear my holy mark,
Sprinkled with atoning blood,
Shall be safe within the ark.
Sinners, see the ark prepared!
Haste to enter while there's room;
Though the Lord his arm has bared,
Mercy still retards your doom:
Seek him while there yet is hope,
Ere the day of grace be past;
Lest in wrath he give you up,
And this call should prove your last.
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. 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 II, hymn 67, “The hiding place. February 10, 1779”.
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 MARTYN; any other Sevens Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: John Newton (1725–1807)
- Music (1834): Simeon B. Marsh (died undefined)
Tune MARTYN by Simeon B. Marsh (died undefined); words by John Newton (1725–1807).
Sung to the same tune: Christ, by Heav’nly Hosts Adored, God, from Whom All Blessings Flow, Light of Life, Seraphic Fire, Men! Whose Boast It Is That Ye, Omnipresent God! Whose Aid, Other Ground Can No Man Lay, Pensive, Doubting, Fearful Heart, Saved by Blood I Live to Tell, See! Another Year Is Gone, Though the Morn May Be Serene, Time, with an Unwearied Hand.
Questions about See the Gloomy Gath'ring Cloud
What is the doh of See the Gloomy Gath'ring Cloud?
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 See the Gloomy Gath'ring Cloud start on?
It starts on m (A in F major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is See the Gloomy Gath'ring Cloud in the public domain?
Yes. John Newton died in 1807, Simeon B. Marsh died in undefined; the words were in print by 1779 and the music in 1834. 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.