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Views from the Choir Loft

My Funeral

Aurelio Porfiri · June 20, 2014

348 Requiem AM DEAD. And now, here I am viewing my own funeral. The people in attendance are not aware that I am looking at them. My coffin is entering at the sound of irreverent songs.

“Hey, it’s me!” I want to shout. “Why are you showing such disrespect? Yes, I am a sinner but one who devoted his life to sacred liturgical music. Sing my compositions.” Oh… the priest is now explaining that unfortunately the choir was not available today because they have a retreat which is a polite way to say that the choir cannot manage to sing my music.

The Mass is going on… and now to my dismay they are reading the responsorial psalm! With all that I have written about that already forgotten … the responsorial psalm should be sung, should be sung, should be sung … but no one can hear me anymore. The Mass with its spoken psalm and tired songs is going on and on.

I can see people standing there out of a sense of obligation. Just my family is really mourning me, while the others are mourning the homily that is too long. Ahh… the homily… in the homily the priest that barely knew me is explaining to everyone how good I was. Well that’s what my family told him anyway. But, if you ask my family what do you expect them to tell you? That I was a scum? Why not just take three minutes to say: “he was a sinner and he fell many times but even when he was on the floor his eyes were still looking to Jesus and his hand was yearning for a saving hand” … isn’t that true?

Ok, the Mass is ending: no chant, no songs from my thousands of compositions, no Latin… I should suggest to my family not to pay the church. What’s happening now? Oh no… someone has to share the memories he has about me. OK, you will miss me and I was good, so good that in the whole time I was in need you were so kind as to never make a phone call. Please “friend”, make it short. OK, it is finished. My family has had the good taste to be silent; we don’t need words to share our love. Now I am going out and the people are clapping. Clapping?! Clapping because I passed away? Maybe it was a good performance? Maybe they are happy I am dead?

OK, OK… NOW YOU’VE CAUGHT ME: I am still alive. I’m just thinking about the many funerals I have seen and imagining my own funeral liturgy, glib and ineffective. I would like to make a proposal for priests: when planning a funeral liturgy, imagine that it’s your own funeral, and then understand more the need for a dignified and sacred service. Do you agree? Good! And no clapping, please…


BOTTEGA • Aurelio Porfiri is where you can discover
many of Mæstro Porfiri’s compositions in PDF format.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Responsorial Psalm Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Aurelio Porfiri

Renowned as composer, conductor, theorist, author, pedagogue, and organist, Aurelio Porfiri has served the Church on multiple continents at the highest levels. Born and raised in Italy, he currently serves as Director of Choral Activities and Composer in Residence for Santa Rosa de Lima School (Macao, China).

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President’s Corner

    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Ordained a diocesan priest on 7 October 1827, Guéranger was quickly named a canon (a member of the cathedral chapter of Tours). Around 1830, he demonstrated his interest in the liturgy when he began to use the Roman Missal and texts for the Divine Office, unlike many of his colleagues, who still made use of the diocesan editions commonly in use in pre-Revolutionary France.”

— Source unknown

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  • Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
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