The Practical Guide to Working With Whom Shall I Fear
Most people come across Whom Shall I Fear Lyrics when they're preparing for a service or putting together a bulletin. The hymn itself is straightforward enough, but there are a few things that trip people up if you've never dealt with it before. I'll cover the basics, then get into the stuff that actually matters when you're standing at a podium with five minutes to spare. The full text goes like this: Whom shall I fear if God is with me,
Whom shall I fear? Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear if God is with me?
Oh, whom shall I fear? Oh, whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear if God is with me?
That's the chorus. The verses vary by tradition. The most common version uses Matthew Bridges' 1846 text, which has four or five verses depending on which hymnal you're using. The original was set to the tune known as "St. Agnes" or sometimes just called "Whom Shall I Fear." Here's one of the more complete verse sets you'll see in standard hymnals: Whom shall I fear if God be for me?
Tell me, ye who doubt and fear.
Can any evil make me tremble,
Sin or death, or hell, or sin?
Jesus bids me dwell with angels,
Jesus calls me friend of God,
Jesus leads me on to glory,
For His name alone I live.
And so on for the rest of the verses. Some congregations sing the full five verses. Most just do the chorus and maybe two or three verses. It depends on the denomination and how much time they've got. I once ran into a situation where my church's song leader wanted to use this in a baptism service, but they had a problem. The version they had in their digital projection software only showed the first two verses and the chorus. They wanted to add a third verse they'd heard somewhere, but they couldn't find a verified text for it online. Most of the results that came up were either from different translations or from fan-written content that wasn't authoritative. What I ended up doing was going back to the original 1846 publication by Matthew Bridges in the English College Hymn Book and pulling the full text from there. You can find that on the Internet Archive. It's not the most exciting way to spend an afternoon but it works.
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How the Tune Works
The melody is in common time, 4/4, and sits comfortably in the middle range for most voices. It's not demanding at all. That's probably why it's used in so many contexts — weddings, funerals, baptisms, regular Sunday services. It doesn't require a choir to pull off. One thing people miss: the hymn is often sung at a moderate tempo, but if you rush it, it loses its weight. The original intention was something like quarter note equals 80 to 90. Anything faster and it starts sounding like a marching tune. I've heard it done at quarter note equals 110 and it just doesn't land right. If you're arranging this for a small ensemble or just want to play it at home, the standard key is D major. That works for most congregational singing. If you've got a piano and no organist, D major is fine. If someone in your group has vocal strain issues, E flat major might be more comfortable. It's not worth fighting over.
Where to Find Reliable Versions
The public domain versions are easy to find. The 1846 text by Matthew Bridges is well documented and widely available through hymn archives. Christian Classics Ethereal Library has it. Hymnary.org has every known variation. If you're looking for sheet music, IMSLP has arrangements, and many church resource sites offer free printable PDFs. The copyright situation is generally not an issue for the original text and tune, but some modern arrangements and translations may have restrictions. If you're reproducing this for a congregation that's going to print it, stick to the public domain versions to avoid any complications. I had a situation once where someone distributed a printed copy with a modern arrangement that had a copyright claim attached, and the publisher asked us to pull it within a week. It was more trouble than it was worth.
Common Pitfalls
The biggest mistake I see is treating this like a solo piece. It's a congregational hymn. The verses are meant to be sung by a group, not performed by one person while everyone else listens. If you're using it as a solo, pick a different hymn or make sure you're clear about what you're doing so people aren't confused. Another issue: some people try to use the Bridges text with tunes other than "St. Agnes." It can work, but it's not ideal. The meter is 8.6.8.6 with a refrain, and not every tune fits that structure cleanly. If you swap the tune, verify that the syllable counts match up before you hand out music. I've seen it done and the result is people starting lines late or rushing through them because the words don't fit the melody. If you're looking for download links, the most reliable sources are Hymnary.org for the full text with tune information, the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for the original 1846 publication, and IMSLP for sheet music arrangements. Those are all free and public domain.
