Time, by Moments, Steals Away in Tonic Solfa
Time, by Moments, Steals Away in Tonic Solfa to WATCHMAN, doh is D: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 5 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| dTime,---rby-mmo----rments,- | msteals---fa--sway,----- |
| sFirst---mthe-shour,---land- | sthen---mthe-rday;----- |
| dSmall---rthe-mdail----ry- | mloss---fap--spears,----- |
| d'Yet---lit-ssoon---ra-- | mmounts---rto-dyears:----- |
| sThus---man--d'oth----ler- | syear---mis-d'flown,----- |
| sNow---mit-d'is---lno- | tmore---lour-sown----- |
| m(If---rit-dbrought---ror- | mpro----fmised-sgood)----- |
| d'Than---lthe-syears---rbe-- | mfore---rthe-dflood.----- |
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- Key
- D major
- Doh
- D
- Time
- 6/4
- Starts on
- d (D)
- Range
- d to d' (D to D, an octave)
- Tune
- WATCHMAN
- Words
- John Newton
- Music
- Lowell Mason
Tune WATCHMAN by Lowell Mason (1792–1872); 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 D · 6/4
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
Time, by moments, steals away,
First the hour, and then the day;
Small the daily loss appears,
Yet it soon amounts to years:
Thus another year is flown,
Now it is no more our own
(If it brought or promised good)
Than the years before the flood.
But (may none of us forget)
It has left us much in debt;
Favors from the Lord received,
Sins that have his Spirit grieved;
Marked by an unerring hand
In his book recorded stand;
Who can tell the vast amount,
Placed to each of our account?
Happy, the believing soul!
Christ for you has paid the whole;
While you own the debt is large,
You may plead a full discharge:
But poor careless sinner, say,
What can you to justice pay?
Tremble, lest when life is past,
Into prison you be cast!
Will you still increase the score?
Still be careless, as before?
O, forbid it, gracious Lord,
Touch their spirits by thy word!
Now, in mercy, to them show
What a mighty debt they owe!
All their unbelief subdue,
Let them find forgiveness too.
Spared to see another year,
Let thy blessing meet us here;
Come, thy dying work revive,
Bid thy drooping garden thrive:
Sun of righteousness arise!
Warm our hearts, and bless our eyes;
Let our prayer thy bowels move,
Make this year a time of love!
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 d (D).
- 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 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 II, hymn 4, “A new-year's thought and prayer”.
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 WATCHMAN; any other Sevens Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: John Newton (1725–1807)
- Music (1830): Lowell Mason (1792–1872)
Tune WATCHMAN by Lowell Mason (1792–1872); words by John Newton (1725–1807).
Sung to the same tune: Come, Thou High and Lofty Lord, Darkness Overspreads Us Here, Father, Lo! We Consecrate, Father, Son, and Spirit, Hear, Father! Thy Paternal Care, Gracious Lord, Our Children See, Guide Us, Lord! While, Hand in Hand, Mary to Her Savior's Tomb, Meet and Right It Is to Praise, O My God, What Must I Do, Pleasing Spring Again Is Here, While with Ceaseless Course the Sun.
Questions about Time, by Moments, Steals Away
What is the doh of Time, by Moments, Steals Away?
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 Time, by Moments, Steals Away start on?
It starts on d (D in D major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to d.
Is Time, by Moments, Steals Away in the public domain?
Yes. John Newton died in 1807, Lowell Mason died in 1872; the words were in print by 1779 and the music in 1830. 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.