Where’er I Go, Whate’er My Task in Tonic Solfa
Where’er I Go, Whate’er My Task in Tonic Solfa to HOLY MATRIMONY, doh is G: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 14 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| s,Wher-- | de’er--dImgo,-dwhat-- | re’er-rmy-mtask,-l,The- |
| l,coun--l,sel-s,of-dmy- | t,God-dI-rask,-rWho- |
| rru--dleth-t,all-l,things- | s,right;-----s,Un-- |
| t,less--dHergive-fboth- | mthought-dand-rdeed,-l,The- |
| t,ut---rmostfpains-mcan- | dne’er-msuc--rceed,-fAnd- |
| mvain-l,must-t,be-t,man’s- | dmight.----- |
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- Key
- G major
- Doh
- G
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- s, (D)
- Range
- s, to f (D to C, a seventh)
- Tune
- HOLY MATRIMONY
- Words
- Paul Fleming, Catherine Winkworth
- Music
- Henry Williams Baker
Melody from the Open Hymnal Project (public domain), edited by Brian J. Dumont; tune HOLY MATRIMONY by Henry Williams Baker (1821–1877); words by Paul Fleming (1609–1640); translated by Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878). 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 G · 4/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in G major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
Where’er I go, whate’er my task,
The counsel of my God I ask,
Who ruleth all things right;
Unless He give both thought and deed,
The utmost pains can ne’er succeed,
And vain must be man’s might.
For what can all my toil avail?
My care, my watching,—all must fail
Unless my God is there.
Then let Him order all for me
As in His will He shall decree;
On Him I cast my care.
For naught can come, as naught has been,
But what my Father has foreseen
And what shall work my good.
Whate’er He gives me I will take,
Whate’er He chooses I will make
My choice with thankful mood.
I lean upon His mighty arm,
Which shieldeth me from every harm
And all calamity.
If in His precepts I shall live,
Whate’er is useful He will give;
And naught can injure me.
But only may He of His grace
The record of my guilt efface
And wipe out all my debt;
Though I have sinned, He will not straight
Pronounce His judgment, He will wait,
Have patience with me yet.
I travel to a distant land
To serve the post wherein I stand,
Which He hath bid me fill;
And He will bless me with His light
That I may serve His world aright
And make me know His will.
And though through desert wilds I fare,
Yet Jesus Christ is with me there,
The Lord Himself is near;
In all my dangers He will come,
And He who kept me safe at home
Can keep me safely here.
Yes, He will speed me on my way
And point me where to go and stay
And help me still and lead;
Let me in health and safety live
And time and wind and weather give
And whatsoe’er I need.
His holy angel being near,
My enemies I need not fear,
For He protects me well;
I owe it to my faithful Guide,
Who never yet hath left my side,
That I in peace may dwell.
When late at night my sleep I take,
When early in the morn I wake,
At rest, or on my way,
In hours of weakness or in bonds,
When, vexed with fears, my heart desponds,
God’s Word is e’er my stay.
Since, then, my course is traced by Him,
I will not fear that future dim,
But go, whate’er befall,
Well knowing naught awaits me there
Too hard for me through Him to bear;
With Him I’ll conquer all.
To Him myself I wholly give,
At His command I die or live,
I trust His love and power;
And if to-morrow or to-day
His summons come, I will obey,
He knows the proper hour.
But if it please that Love most kind,
And if this voice within my mind
Be whispering not in vain,
I yet shall praise my God ere long
In many a sweet and joyful song
When in my home again.
To those I love will He be near,
With His consoling light appear,
Who is my Shield and theirs;
And He will grant beyond our thought
What they and I alike have sought
With tears and fervent prayers.
How to sing it from the solfa
- Find doh first. Play or hum G 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, (D), on the first syllable of “Where’er”, as a pickup before the first full bar.
- 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.
- 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
Paul Fleming wrote these words in German. Catherine Winkworth's translation was printed in the Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book (St. Louis, 1927), as hymn 372.
The book printed the words without tunes, marked Common Particular Metre (8.8.6.8.8.6), to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to HOLY MATRIMONY; any other Common Particular Metre tune fits them as well.
- Words: Paul Fleming (1609–1640)
- Translated: Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878)
- Music (1865): Henry Williams Baker (1821–1877)
Melody from the Open Hymnal Project (public domain), edited by Brian J. Dumont; tune HOLY MATRIMONY by Henry Williams Baker (1821–1877); words by Paul Fleming (1609–1640); translated by Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878). The Open Hymnal Project publishes this tune as public domain; NoteFusion's engine wrote the solfa from its notes. The melody has not yet been checked against a printed hymn book.
Sung to the same tune: Author of Faith, to Thee I Cry, Come, Wisdom, Power, and Grace Divine, Hail, Love Divine! Joys Ever New, He Came to Earth Who Came from God, How Blest the Hearts, How Happy Are the Little Flock, How Happy Is the Pilgrim's Lot, Lord of the Church, We Humbly Pray, O Glorious Hope of Perfect Love, O Jesus, Lover of Our Race, O Saviour, Cast a Gracious Smile, O Son of God, on Thee We Call, O Thou Who Hast Our Sorrows Borne, Safe in the Comfort of Thy Grace, Soft Are the Fruitful Showers That Bring, Still Lord, I Languish for Thy Grace, Thee, Jesu, Thee, the Sinner's Friend, Thou Great Mysterious God Unknown, To Thee My Soul Enraptured Sings.
Questions about Where’er I Go, Whate’er My Task
What is the doh of Where’er I Go, Whate’er My Task?
In this version, in G major, doh is G. 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 Where’er I Go, Whate’er My Task start on?
It starts on s, (D in G major), a pickup on the first syllable of “Where’er” before the first full bar. Find doh first, then sing up or down to s,.
Is Where’er I Go, Whate’er My Task in the public domain?
Yes. Paul Fleming died in 1640, Catherine Winkworth died in 1878, Henry Williams Baker died in 1877; the words were in print by 1927 and the music in 1865. 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.