Work, for the Night Is Coming in Tonic Solfa
Work, for the Night Is Coming in Tonic Solfa to WORK SONG: the solfa with the words, staff notation, the three verses, and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| sWork,-mfor-,fthesnight-sis- | lcom----sing,--- |
| dWork-dthrough-,dthedmor--rning- | mhours;------- |
| sWork-mwhile-,fthesdew-sis- | lspark----sling,--- |
| dWork-r’mid-mspring--ring- | dflow’rs.------- |
| rWork-rwhen-,rtherday-mgrows- | fbright---m_rer,--- |
| mWork-min-,mthemglow--feing- | ssun;------- |
| sWork,-mfor-,fthesnight-sis- | lcom----sing,--- |
| dWhen-rman’s-mwork-ris- | ddone.------- |
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- Key
- F major
- Doh
- F
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- s (C)
- Range
- d to l (F to D, a sixth)
- Tune
- WORK SONG
- Words
- Anna L. Coghill
- Music
- Lowell Mason
Tune WORK SONG by Lowell Mason (1792–1872); words by Anna L. Coghill (1836–1907). 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
Work, for the night is coming,
Work through the morning hours;
Work while the dew is sparkling,
Work ’mid springing flow’rs.
Work when the day grows brighter,
Work in the glowing sun;
Work, for the night is coming,
When man’s work is done.
Work, for the night is coming,
Work through the sunny noon;
Fill brightest hours with labour,
Rest comes sure and soon.
Give every flying minute
Something to keep in store;
Work, for the night is coming,
When man works no more.
Work, for the night is coming,
Under the sunset skies;
While their bright tints are glowing,
Work, for daylight flies.
Work till the last beam fadeth,
Fadeth to shine no more;
Work, while the night is dark’ning,
When man’s work is o’er.
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 s (C).
- 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. A cell split by a comma holds two quarter beats: d -,r is a dotted quaver and a semiquaver, d,r two semiquavers. That comma sits between two syllables; an octave mark sits small and low against its own letter (s,).
- Know the notes. The tune uses d r m f s l and the chromatic fe. 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
Anna L. Coghill wrote the words in Canada in 1854. Lowell Mason wrote the tune WORK SONG in 1864.
- Words (1854): Anna L. Coghill (1836–1907)
- Music (1864): Lowell Mason (1792–1872)
Tune WORK SONG by Lowell Mason (1792–1872); words by Anna L. Coghill (1836–1907).
Questions about Work, for the Night Is Coming
What is the doh of Work, for the Night Is Coming?
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 Work, for the Night Is Coming start on?
It starts on s (C in F major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to s.
Is Work, for the Night Is Coming in the public domain?
Yes. Anna L. Coghill died in 1907, Lowell Mason died in 1872; the words were first published in 1854 and the music in 1864. 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.