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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

I Am Not A Contemporary

Aurelio Porfiri · July 15, 2014

HERE ARE SOME MOMENTS in which we feel compelled to be satisfied. This does not happen frequently, but in that rare blissful moment we try to enjoy it. So I want to tell you why I find myself in that “upper home of bliss” (Father Faber).

The life of a liturgical musician is very difficult, we find ourselves struggling to find the right place for us, one where we can affirm our own rights, which we have come to believe are also the rights of the liturgy. But there is a point we reach when we are tired, where we decide to go elsewhere, hoping that in other places we’ll at least be respected. So I looked at job offers, and that is why, (as you will see) I now find myself in the “upper home of bliss” (always Faber).

In many American parishes there are priests that look for someone able to conduct the “contemporary” choirs. It seems these choirs flourish in many parishes and colleges. “Good,” I say to myself, “contemporary means that choirs involved in the liturgical reform are singing good liturgical music of our time.” — “Indeed,” I reason, “there are composers that have the tools and knowledge to make good liturgical music in vernacular languages, music that must be considered contemporary.” In my heart however, I have some doubts about that. I think: “maybe they use contemporary in the sense of Stockausen, Berio, Ligeti?” Or maybe they will force me to conduct a Mass of John Cage (did he write a Mass?), with a communion song called 3’45” where we just open the score and stay in silence (considering the quality of most of the communion songs you can hear today in churches, that is already an advantage).

BEFORE APPROACHING THE MULTITUDE of priests and pastoral councils that are wholeheartedly offering these wonderful opportunities to people like me, I turn my eyes to YouTube trying to find comfort for my devastating doubts about what being “contemporary” means. I need to tell you: I feel I am contemporary, as I feel I am alive (at least most of the time). So, looking in hope to my beloved YouTube, I search for contemporary choirs in churches and a multitude of videos pour down from tiny strands of the web! Feeling blessed and more and more curious, I click on one, hoping not to get any casual music or abstract sonorities but good liturgical music from good contemporary composers that follow the requirements for good liturgical music confirmed in many documents and pastoral letters.

But… wait… “What is this?” I asked, as some kind of 70s music began with roaming guitars and invading percussion, and someone singing a contorted melody with a microphone implanted directly in his throat! “No,” I say, (double checking the video description) “despite its good quality, this is some old video.” But I am wrong, the video was uploaded one month before. So… this is contemporary Catholic music for many American priests. In this case then, I am not a contemporary musician, because my music for the church still obeys rules. Rules, that make the same music sound completely different from this. But accepting the framework these priests establish, it is not contemporary.

OKAY, okay! I will walk as a wanderer trying to figure out who I am! But before submerging myself in the darkness of time, I have a question for all these priests and pastoral councils that are so supportive of contemporary groups: how come all the Popes thunder against consumerism in our society and you are accepting one of its pillars, commercial music, right in the heart of our liturgies?


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 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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). 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 the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser
    To assist our fundraiser, Mrs. Kathleen Ostrowski has drawn several beautiful sketches which she offers to all our readers free of charge. If you have a moment, I invite you download them at this link.
    —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

“I, (Name), do declare that I do believe that there is not any Transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, or in the elements of the bread and wine, at or after the consecration thereof by any person whatsoever.”

— ‘From England’s Anti-Catholic Oath (1673)’

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