Sister, Thou Wast Mild and Lovely in Tonic Solfa
Sister, Thou Wast Mild and Lovely in Tonic Solfa to ALL FOR JESUS, doh is D: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 4 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mSis--ster,-d'thou-twast- | lmild-sand-slove--fly,- |
| mGen--stle-das-mthe- | rsum--dmer-rbreeze,--- |
| rPlea--msant-fas-lth'air- | r'of-d'e--d've--tning,- |
| d'When-sit-sfloats-fa-- | mmong-rthe-dtrees.--- |
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- Key
- D major
- Doh
- D
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- m (F♯)
- Range
- d to r' (D to E, a ninth)
- Tune
- ALL FOR JESUS
- Words
- Samuel Francis Smith
- Music
- John Stainer
Tune ALL FOR JESUS by John Stainer (1840–1901); words by Samuel Francis Smith (1808–1895). 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
Sister, thou wast mild and lovely,
Gentle as the summer breeze,
Pleasant as the air of evening,
When it floats among the trees.
Peaceful be thy silent slumber —
Peaceful in the grave so low:
Thou no more wilt join our number;
Thou no more our songs shalt know.
Dearest sister, thou hast left us;
Here thy loss we deeply feel;
But 'tis God that hath bereft us:
He can all our sorrows heal.
Yet again we hope to meet thee,
When the day of life is fled,
Then in heaven with joy to greet thee,
Where no farewell tear is shed.
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. 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
Samuel Francis Smith wrote these words. They were printed in Hymns for Christian Devotion, compiled by John G. Adams and Edwin H. Chapin (Boston, 1846), as hymn 590 of its twenty-second edition (1853), “Death of a Young Girl”.
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 ALL FOR JESUS; any other Eights and Sevens tune fits them as well.
- Words: Samuel Francis Smith (1808–1895)
- Music (1887): John Stainer (1840–1901)
Tune ALL FOR JESUS by John Stainer (1840–1901); words by Samuel Francis Smith (1808–1895).
Sung to the same tune: Brother, Rest from Sin and Sorrow, Christian Soldiers in the Conflict, Come Ye People, Come Adore Him, Fare Thee Well, Our Fondly Cherished, Father, Source of Every Blessing, In the Cross of Christ I Glory, Israel's Shepherd, Guide Me, Feed Me, Israel's Shepherd, Guide Us, Feed Us, Lamb of God, We Fall Before Thee, Light Serene of Holy Glory, One Sweet Flower Has Drooped and Faded, Savior, All My Sins Confessing, Saviour! I My Cross Have Taken, Theories, Which Thousands Cherish.
Questions about Sister, Thou Wast Mild and Lovely
What is the doh of Sister, Thou Wast Mild and Lovely?
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 Sister, Thou Wast Mild and Lovely start on?
It starts on m (F♯ in D major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Sister, Thou Wast Mild and Lovely in the public domain?
Yes. Samuel Francis Smith died in 1895, John Stainer died in 1901; the words were in print by 1853 and the music in 1887. 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.