The Solid Rock (Gospel Feel)
Home » Original Songs » Hymn ArrangementsDescription
This is a harmonization of Bradbury's popular tune(SOLID ROCK) with a gospel ("black" gospel) feel.
Lyrics
My hope is built on nothing lessThan Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' Name.
Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Words: Edward Mote, Melody: William Bradbury (SOLID ROCK)
Arrangement by David L. Ward
Harmonization: © 2009 ThousandTongues.org
Arrangement by David L. Ward
Harmonization: © 2009 ThousandTongues.org
This is a decent start but the arrangement has several errors. In bar 2, it would not be Bb13 because that implies the dominant 7th (Ab) and there is an A in the melody. The chord should be Bb6. The last line is the most problematic. It can't be B Maj7 because that implies A# and there is an A in the melody. Even if that's a typo for BbMaj7 it's not a very natural resolution from the previous chord Bdim7. Furthermore, over the A7 chord that follows, you would be singing C natural against the C# in the chord. C natural is the #9 of A7. You would at least have to play A7#9 so the singer could find the note. It's not a very natural reharmonization choice for the melody especially since none of the rest of the arrangment uses that #9 sound.
Ross,
Thanks for taking the time to look at the changes. You're right about the Bb13 really being a Bb6. When I opened my copy, the BMaj7 was actually a BbMaj7, so it must have been a typo. Regarding the last issue, the #9 is really just a passing tone and even though it is a strange harmony, it's pretty easy to sing since the fourth up to the root is a repeated interval in the song. I've updated the chart.