Views from the Choir Loft

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). Read more.

Something Unexpected

Aurelio Porfiri · October 5, 2015 ·

Music is not and cannot be neutral.

“When You See Rome, You Will Lose Your Faith.”

Aurelio Porfiri · July 29, 2015 ·

Only the blind can avoid facing this reality: the biggest liturgical crisis is in Rome.

Optimists & Pessimists

Aurelio Porfiri · June 13, 2015 ·

There was a standard commonly accepted, so what was strange and of out of place felt that way.

Music That Hurts

Aurelio Porfiri · April 29, 2015 ·

“Was it not jealousy for the honor of thy house that consumed me? Was it not uttered against thee, the reproach I bore?”

The Real Enemy: Mediocrity

Aurelio Porfiri · March 17, 2015 ·

“Real liturgy is for daring hearts, not for uninspired mediocrities.” —Aurelio Porfiri

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(7 of 7)

Aurelio Porfiri · March 3, 2015 ·

We should be more and more convinced that the Propers are “healthier” than alternative songs…

Understanding

Aurelio Porfiri · January 27, 2015 ·

“Immanentism means there is no reality beyond what we know…” —Aurelio Porfiri

Showing Off During Mass

Aurelio Porfiri · January 20, 2015 ·

“Many years ago I had a spiritual director that gave me a lesson that I have never forgotten…” —Aurelio Porfiri

The Verge Of The Abyss

Aurelio Porfiri · January 12, 2015 ·

“Fellow church musicians, rejoice and be glad!” —Aurelio Porfiri

L’Anima Mia Ha Sete Sung By Music School In Rome

Aurelio Porfiri · January 5, 2015 ·

Recorded for Vatican Radio with organist Aurelio Porfiri. Conducted by Sister Dolores Aguirre.

Could Pope St. Pius X Sing?

“On 12 March 1908, the complete publication of the Roman Gradual was issued by the Vatican Press. On that very day, Dom Pothier solemnly presented the first copy to the Holy Father. A witness of the audience says that Pius X wished to be the first to see the new book; he opened it at random, at page 128 of the supplement pro aliquibus locis—it was the Introit of the new Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Pope sang it with perfect taste to the last note.” (Catholic Choirmaster, February 1915)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Julius Bas Accompaniment

A very prolific harmonizer of Gregorian chant in the early 20th century was Mr. Julius Bas. He often uses a very strange technique, wherein he employs rests to eliminate the Alto, Tenor, and Bass voices. Consider what he did with “Lumen ad revelationem” here:

* JPEG • Lumen ad revelationem

It seems quite lazy, and I’ve never seen anyone else use such a technique, although Dr. Peter Wagner often switched to parallel octaves when he ran out of ideas… (Yuck!)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Hitting wrong notes

Fr. Valentine Young, OFM, used to say: “The organist can play 1,000 correct notes and one wrong note—and the only thing people will care about is the wrong note.” Last Sunday I hit some wrong notes, and felt bad. Then I remembered a story about Rudolf Serkin and started to chuckle. Charles Rosen (or was it Leon Fleisher?) told the story of Serkin playing a Beethoven Sonata in front of a large audience. The theme is all in octaves; but Serkin hit some wrong notes, and played parallel 7ths instead. This so unnerved him that every time the theme returned, he played the entire thing in parallel 7ths! We must remember that even the greatest hit wrong notes. Alfred Cortot, Vladimir Horowitz, Wilhelm Backhaus, Edwin Fischer, Sviatoslav Richter, Egon Petri—they all hit wrong notes, which we can hear on recordings. (Josef Hofmann was an exception, but he was super-human so he doesn’t count!)

—Jeff Ostrowski