Soldiers of the Cross, Arise in Tonic Solfa
Soldiers of the Cross, Arise in Tonic Solfa to VIENNA, doh is G: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 7 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mSol--rdiers-dof-mthe- | sCross,-fa--mrise,--- |
| l,Gird-t,you-dwith-ryour- | t,ar--l,mor-s,bright;--- |
| dMight--t,y-l,are-dyour- | fen--me--rmies,--- |
| sHard-fthe-mbat--rtle- | dye-t,must-dfight.--- |
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- Key
- G major
- Doh
- G
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- m (B)
- Range
- s, to s (D to D, an octave)
- Tune
- VIENNA
- Words
- William Walsham How
Tune VIENNA by Justin Heinrich Knecht (died undefined); words by William Walsham How (1823–1897). 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
Soldiers of the Cross, arise,
Gird you with your armor bright;
Mighty are your enemies,
Hard the battle ye must fight.
O’er a faithless, fallen world
Raise your banner in the sky;
Let it float there wide unfurled;
Bear it onward, lift it high.
Mid the homes of want and woe,
Strangers to the living Word,
Let the Savior’s heralds go,
Let the voice of hope be heard.
Where the shadows deepest lie,
Carry truth’s unsullied ray;
Where are crimes of blackest dye,
There the saving sign display.
To the weary and the worn
Tell of realms where sorrows cease;
To the outcast and forlorn
Speak of mercy and of peace.
Guard the helpless; seek the strayed;
Comfort troubles; banish grief;
In the might of God arrayed,
Scatter sin and unbelief.
Be the banner still unfurled,
Still unsheathed the Spirit’s Sword,
Till the kingdoms of the world
Are the kingdom of the Lord.
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 m (B).
- 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
William Walsham How wrote these words. They were printed in the Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book (St. Louis, 1927), as hymn 482.
The book printed the words without tunes, marked Sevens (7.7.7.7), to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to VIENNA; any other Sevens tune fits them as well.
- Words: William Walsham How (1823–1897)
- Music (1799): Justin Heinrich Knecht (died undefined)
Tune VIENNA by Justin Heinrich Knecht (died undefined); words by William Walsham How (1823–1897).
Sung to the same tune: Angels, Roll the Rock Away, Blessed State! and Happy He, Christians! Brethren! Ere We Part, Come the Rich and Come the Poor, Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare, Father, at Thy Footstool See, Father, in Thy Presence Now, God Made All His Creatures Free, Happy Soul, That Safe from Harm, In the Morning I Will Pray, In Themselves, as Weak as Worms, Jesus Comes with All His Grace, Jesus, Lord, We Look to Thee, Jesus! Name of Wondrous Love, Lord of Mercy, at Thy Gate, Lord! That I May Learn of Thee, Morn of Beauty, Joyous Morn, Now May He Who from the Dead, People of the Living God, Praise on Thee, in Zion's Gates, Sacred Day, Forever Blest, Saviour of the Sin-sick Soul, Sinner, Rouse Thee from Thy Sleep, Son of God! Thy People's Shield, Thanks to God for Those Who Came, Unbelief the Soul Dismays, Waving in the Autumn Breeze, We Would Leave, O God, to Thee, When My Love to Christ Grows Weak, Wouldst Thou in Thy Lonely Hour.
Questions about Soldiers of the Cross, Arise
What is the doh of Soldiers of the Cross, Arise?
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 Soldiers of the Cross, Arise start on?
It starts on m (B in G major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Soldiers of the Cross, Arise in the public domain?
Yes. William Walsham How died in 1897, Justin Heinrich Knecht died in undefined; the words were in print by 1927 and the music in 1799. 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.