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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

The Semiologist And The Unbeliever

Aurelio Porfiri · August 5, 2014

NCE UPON A TIME there was a man, an Italian man, a musician, making music for God. This musician liked Gregorian chant. He thought he knew how this famous chant should be performed and was always very suspicious of the so called “semiologists”.

Who are they? They promulgate an understanding of Gregorian chant which traces back to the work of the Solesmes Monk Eugene Cardine and his followers. Dom Eugene Cardine (1905–1988), a monk of the Abbey of Solesmes, shed a new light on the interpretation of the medieval neumes, showing that these neumes have not only a value for the reconstruction of the melodies but also shed a great light on the correct interpretation. But the musician, full of his knowledge, mocked these new interpreters of Gregorian chant. Not that he was really into Mocquerau either, having already considered those theories of interpretation worthy of being confined to the recesses of history. But semiology, please!

One day this unbelieving musician was invited to a concert in a beautiful roman church called Sant’Agostino, very near to Piazza Navona, one of the most popular tourist attractions of Rome. It was a chant concert, the choir was the female choir of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, and the conductor was Professor Nino Albarosa, a student of Cardine himself. The musician really did not want to go, but one of his friends sang in that choir and insisted he go. So when he sat in that beautiful church he was just hoping that this boring concert would finish as soon as possible, so he could attend to more worthy business.

But when Professor Albarosa moved his hand to give the cue for the first piece, it was like the angels themselves had gathered to sing together with an international choir that was voicing the praise of God in that very place. It was like the daily time, the Chronos, was suspended to make everyone enter in the time of eternity, the Aion. From that moment on the musician, like a new Saint Paul on the road to Damascus, converted wholeheartedly; understanding that if the angels themselves are singing, this theory cannot be wrong at all. And from that time on that musician, which you guessed, is me, and all present understood that chant is a gift from God; that dom Cardine was a great man and that Professor Albarosa is a great chant conductor; and all lived happily ever after. Alleluia. Amen.


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: Dom Eugène Cardine, Gregorian Semiology Last Updated: February 22, 2021

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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” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 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 propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —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

“After a discussion lasting several days, in which arguments for and against were discussed, the Council fathers came to the clear conclusion—wholly in agreement with the Council of Trent—that Latin must be retained as the language of cult in the Latin rite, although exceptional cases were possible and even welcome.”

— Alfons Cardinal Stickler, Vatican II ‘peritus’

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