Views from the Choir Loft

Bottega • Aurelio Porfiri

Aurelio Porfiri · June 23, 2014

URELIO PORFIRI OFFERS INSPIRATION to all who work with him. His attitude and gifts have taught me a lot and I owe him a great debt of gratitude. It is a great privilege to know and work with him.” — Colin Mawby (Westminster)

English

St. Augustine Mass • “Lord, Have Mercy” : 6166 (organist) • 6165 (vocalist) • (youtube)

St. Augustine Mass • “Holy, Holy, Holy” : 6164 (organist) • 6163 (vocalist) • (youtube)

St. Augustine Mass • “Lamb of God” : 6168 (organist) • 6167 (vocalist) • (youtube)

There’s A Wideness In God’s Mercy (Faber) : 6162 (organist) • 6161 (vocalist)

The Praises Of My Tongue (Watts) : 6160 (organist)

Hail Mary : 6170 (organist) • 6169 (vocalist)

Pentatonic Mass • “Glory To God” : 6157 (organist) • 6156 (vocalist)

Communion Antiphon (9th Sunday in Ordinary Time) : 6153 (organist) • 6152 (vocalist)

Gospel Acclamation for the Feast of Saint Francis : 5901 (organist)

English Responsorial Psalms

Rejoice In the Lord (Ps. 97) : 6116 (organist) • 6117 (vocalist)

Here Am I, Lord (Ps. 40) : 6159 (organist)

The Lord Is My Shepherd (Ps. 23) : 6155 (organist)

Have Mercy On Us, O Lord (Ps. 50) : 6158 (organist)

Italian

Presentation of the Gifts (1st Sunday of Advent) : 6142 (organist/cantor)

Introit (1st Sunday of Advent) : 6141 (organist) • 6140 (cantor)

6139 A te il regno

6138 A Te, Signore

6137 Angelo di Dio

6136 Ave Maria

6135 Io gioisco pienamente Magnificat

6134 Risuoni la mia bocca

Latin

Bone Pastor Panis Vere (From the Lauda Sion) : 6151 (SATB)

O Salutaris Hostia : 6115 (organist/vocalist)

Quid Retribuam Domino : 6114 (organist & vocal parts)

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

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).

“Music List” • 9 Nov. (Dedic. Lateran)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 9 November 2025, which is the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the sensational feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • Offertory (9 Nov.)

This year, the feast of 9 November replaces the Sunday. The OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF file) for 9 November is exceedingly beautiful. The ‘Laterani’ mansion at Rome was the popes’ residence for a thousand years. The church there still is the cathedral church of Rome—“Mother and Head of all churches of the City and of the World,” says the inscription over the entrance. It is dedicated to Our Holy Savior, but has long been commonly known as “St. John Lateran” owing to its famous baptistery of St. John the Baptist. In this church, the pope’s own ‘cathedra’ (episcopal chair) stands in the apse.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Job Opening • $65,000 per year +

A parish 15 minutes away from me is looking for a choir director and organist. The parish is filled with young families. When I began my career, I would have jumped at such an opportunity! Saint Patrick’s in Grand Haven has a job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year including benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” I lived in Kansas for 15 years, Texas for 10 years, and Los Angeles for 10 years. Michigan is the closest place I know to heaven!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of November (2025)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Our Father” • Musical Setting?

Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?

—Jeff Ostrowski