Though the Morn May Be Serene in Tonic Solfa
Though the Morn May Be Serene in Tonic Solfa to MARTYN, doh is F: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 6 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mThough---mthe-mmorn---dmay- | rbe---rse--rrene,----- |
| mNot---ma-sthreat'n----fing- | mcloud-----rbe----- |
| dseen;----------- | mWho---mcan-mun----dder-- |
| rtake---rto-rsay----- | m'Twill---mbe-splea----fsant- |
| mall-----rthe----- | dday?----------- |
| sTem----spests-ssud----sden-- | lly-----lmay----- |
| srise,----------- | sDark----sness-so----sver-- |
| lspread-----lthe----- | sskies;----------- |
| mLight----mnings-mflash,---dand- | rthun----rders-rroar,----- |
| mEre---ma-sshort---flived- | mday-----rbe----- |
| do'er.----------- |
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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
Though the morn may be serene,
Not a threat'ning cloud be seen;
Who can undertake to say
'Twill be pleasant all the day?
Tempests suddenly may rise,
Darkness overspread the skies;
Lightnings flash, and thunders roar,
Ere a short-lived day be o'er.
Often thus, the child of grace,
Enters on his christian race;
Guilt and fear are overborne,
'Tis with him a summer's morn:
While his new-felt joys abound,
All things seem to smile around;
And he hopes it will be fair,
All the day, and all the year.
Should we warn him of a change,
He would think the caution strange;
He no change or trouble fears,
Till the gath'ring storm appears;
Till dark clouds his sun conceal,
Till temptation's pow'r he feel;
Then he trembles, and looks pale,
All his hopes and courage fail.
But the wonder-working Lord
Soothes the tempest by his word;
Stills the thunder, stops the rain,
And his sun breaks forth again:
Soon the cloud again returns,
Now he joys, and now he mourns;
Oft his sky is overcast,
Ere the day of life be past.
Tried believers too can say,
In the course of one short day,
Though the morning has been fair,
Proved a golden hour of prayer:
Sin, and Satan, long ere night,
Have their comforts put to flight;
Ah! what heart-felt peace and joy,
Unexpected storms destroy.
Dearest Savior, call us soon
To thine high eternal noon;
Never there shall tempest rise
To conceal thee from our eyes:
Satan shall no more deceive,
We no more thy Spirit grieve;
But through cloudless, endless days,
Sound, to golden harps, thy praise.
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 34, “Summer-forms”.
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 the Gloomy Gath'ring Cloud, See! Another Year Is Gone, Time, with an Unwearied Hand.
Questions about Though the Morn May Be Serene
What is the doh of Though the Morn May Be Serene?
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 Though the Morn May Be Serene start on?
It starts on m (A in F major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Though the Morn May Be Serene 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.