Sinner, Art Thou Still Secure in Tonic Solfa
Sinner, Art Thou Still Secure in Tonic Solfa to MESSIAH (HERALD), doh is F: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 5 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mSin---rner,dart-dthou- | fstill--mse-rcure?--- |
| sWilt--lthoulstill-sre-- | mfuse-dto-rpray?--- |
| mCan--rthydheart-dor- | fhands--men-rdure--- |
| sIn--lthesLord'S-ma-- | rveng---dingdday?--- |
| t,See,--dhisrmight--fy- | marm--risdbared!--- |
| rAwe---mfulfter--lrors- | sclothe--fhismbrow!--- |
| mFor--rhisdjudg--dment- | fstand--mpre-rpared,--- |
| sThou--lmustsei--mther- | rbreak--dordbow.--- |
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- Key
- F major
- Doh
- F
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- m (A)
- Range
- t, to l (E to D, a seventh)
- Tune
- MESSIAH (HERALD)
- Words
- John Newton
Tune MESSIAH (HERALD) by Louis J. F. Herold (died undefined) and George Kingsley (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 · 4/4
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
Sinner, art thou still secure?
Wilt thou still refuse to pray?
Can thy heart or hands endure
In the Lord'S avenging day?
See, his mighty arm is bared!
Aweful terrors clothe his brow!
For his judgment stand prepared,
Thou must either break or bow.
At his presence nature shakes,
Earth affrighted hastes to flee;
Solid mountains melt like wax,
What will then become of thee?
Who his advent may abide?
You that glory in your shame,
Will you find a place to hide
When the world is wrapped in flame?
Then the rich, the great, the wise,
Trembling, guilty, self-condemned;
Must behold the wrathful eyes
Of the Judge they once blasphemed:
Where are now their haughty looks?
O, their horror and despair!
When they see the opened books
And their dreadful sentence hear!
Lord prepare us by thy grace!
Soon we must resign our breath;
And our souls be called, to pass
Through the iron gate of death
Let us now our day improve,
Listen to the gospel voice;
Seek the things that are above,
Scorn the world's pretended joys.
O! when flesh and heart shall fail,
Let thy love our spirits cheer;
Strengthened thus, we shall prevail
Over Satan, sin, and fear:
Trusting in thy precious name,
May we thus our journey end;
Then our foes hall lose their aim,
And the Judge will be our Friend.
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. 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
John Newton wrote these words. They were printed in Olney Hymns (London, 1779), Book III, hymn 4, “Prepare to meet God”.
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 MESSIAH (HERALD); any other Sevens Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: John Newton (1725–1807)
- Music (1839): Louis J. F. Herold (died undefined)
- Arranged (1839): George Kingsley (died undefined)
Tune MESSIAH (HERALD) by Louis J. F. Herold (died undefined) and George Kingsley (died undefined); words by John Newton (1725–1807).
Sung to the same tune: 'Tis My Happiness Below, Blessing, Honour, Thanks, and Praise, Bound upon the Accursed Tree, Come, and Let Us Sweetly Join, Faint the Earth, and Parched with Drought, God of Love, We Look to Thee, Grace, Triumphant in the Throne, Happy Man Whom God Doth Aid, Happy Soul Who Sees the Day, Hark! How Time's Wide Sounding Bell, Jesus, We Thy Promise Claim, Let the Beasts Their Breath Resign, Lord! Thou Didst Arise and Say, Oft in Vain the Voice of Truth.
Questions about Sinner, Art Thou Still Secure
What is the doh of Sinner, Art Thou Still Secure?
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 Sinner, Art Thou Still Secure start on?
It starts on m (A in F major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Sinner, Art Thou Still Secure in the public domain?
Yes. John Newton died in 1807, Louis J. F. Herold died in undefined, George Kingsley died in undefined; the words were in print by 1779 and the music in 1839. 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.