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Masonic Organists

flipster

Registered User
Our lodge does not use any music. It could be an excellent part of decorum. Where might one find a listing of appropriate music?
 

flipster

Registered User
Thanks for the link. It says nothing religious, or nationalistic in nature should be used. A little confused, but it's a start for sources.
 

Canadian Paul

Registered User
My lodge has the Office of 'Organist' but has been unable to find a brother qualified to fill it for several years now. However, this does not stop us from singing our Opening and Closing Odes as well as special odes for the entrance of the candidates in eact of the 3 degrees 9 as well as in the mark, which as a Scottish lodge we work as an extension of the 2nd degree). We also have an Office-bearer called the 'Piper' but unfortunately the only brother we have who can play the pipes is serving as Junior Deacon. (In case you are wondering we use 'baby bagpipes' inside the lodge!)

Occasionally one of the visiting brethren will offer to play the organ for us. It is always special to hear music played during perambulations, etc.
 

MaineMason

Registered User
Being a Scottish lodge we are pleased to have an office of Piper. The Piper primarily plays for installations and in our small temple the sound of the bagpipes is more than impressive.
It has been a while but our Scottish Rite 33rd Degree Team did Master Mason degrees with us recently at our Temple and there was a proper Piper in a proper Kilt.
 

MaineMason

Registered User
My lodge has the Office of 'Organist' but has been unable to find a brother qualified to fill it for several years now. However, this does not stop us from singing our Opening and Closing Odes as well as special odes for the entrance of the candidates in eact of the 3 degrees 9 as well as in the mark, which as a Scottish lodge we work as an extension of the 2nd degree). We also have an Office-bearer called the 'Piper' but unfortunately the only brother we have who can play the pipes is serving as Junior Deacon. (In case you are wondering we use 'baby bagpipes' inside the lodge!)

Occasionally one of the visiting brethren will offer to play the organ for us. It is always special to hear music played during perambulations, etc.
I am planning to visit Ottawa soon and perhaps in the Maritimes. I would love to visit your Mark Lodge if you accept US Mark Masters from Royal Arch and 32nd from our Scottish Rite. Of course I would have my dues card and letters from the appropriate bodies. I am in Maine so the Maritimes are not far.
 

Canadian Paul

Registered User
I am planning to visit Ottawa soon and perhaps in the Maritimes. I would love to visit your Mark Lodge if you accept US Mark Masters from Royal Arch and 32nd from our Scottish Rite. Of course I would have my dues card and letters from the appropriate bodies. I am in Maine so the Maritimes are not far.
we plan to work the Mark at our Regular Meeting on May 16th 2016. You would need to prove that you are a Master Mason and have the Mark. Dues cards and the relevant bodies should be sufficient, as long as they are recognised by the GL of Scotland ( and, in the case of your Mark, by the Grand Chapter of Scotland.) 'Proving' is a rather informal process here and dues card and other means of identification would suffice.

If it seems likely that you would be in the St. John's, Newfoundland, area (NOT 'Saint John, NB!) on that date contact me privately and I'll give you details.
 

MaineMason

Registered User
Thank you for your response. As far as I know all Blue Lodges in the US are in communication with the UGLE and the Grand Lodge of Scotland (which is a good thing given that after our Independence Scotland chartered our first Grand Lodges as well). I look forward to my trip in Canada and will contact you as it gets nearer. Bro. Harris, Casco No. 36, Yarmouth, Maine, Organist, Triangle Lodge No. 1, Portland, Maine, 32nd Degree, Massachusetts Consistory, Boston, MA, Cumberland-Mount Vernon Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, Yarmouth, ME.
 

MaineMason

Registered User
Hi Bro, congratulations (and thank you) on your appointment. It might sound strange to thank a stranger, but for those of us used to having an organist, we understand their importance, *not* having one is a real blow. Hences the thank you.

It is ususual here for a lodge not to have an organist. It is extremely rare for organists to only be working in one lodge. Recently one of our organists was ill and when we could not find a replacement, we tried to use recorded music - terrible. A good organist plays to accompany the action in lodge and varies what he's playing according to the pace of lodge officers..... no existent technology can match a moderately good one.

A couple of years ago a GL organist started an organ school. He assembled about 8 or more organs and ran a course. Lodges were pushing men into that course with great encouragement -but we're still short on organists here. If ours can't make it (i'm in two craft) its hard to find a replacement.

I'm pretty sure Mark and Chapter also use organists here.... i guess music and singing are part of our masonic experience here (as it is in many other places).

Another important thing to note is we have set odes for degrees. They have wonderful words such as:

"O Masons blest, Who pity shows,

And learns to feel another’s woes;

Lends to the poor man’s wants his ear,

And wipes the helpless orphans’ tear;

In ev’ry want, in ev’ry woe

Himself true pity then shall know."

We also have lodge songs, often with two themes friendship/welcoming and toasting :)

So to recap, we have set odes for degrees with beautiful words that allow a beat to move around the room.. we have songs in the festive board, some very traditional and masonic, we generally sing old lang syne and our national anthem at the end of our meetings, last night there were a lot of Christmas carols.... but when organists are installed you often hear "money, money" by abba lol... so it's not all serious. .
Regarding Mark and Chapter, and I'm sorry to take so long in replying to this, in the US the Mark Master degree is worked in a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and is part of our "York Rite" which also comprises Council (Cryptic Masonry) and Commandery (Knights Templar). Unlike in many other English speaking jurisdictions, we do not have independent Mark Lodges nor do Blue Lodges confer Mark Master degrees. --Bro. Harris, Cumberland-Mt. Vernon Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, Yarmouth, Maine, USA.
 

MaineMason

Registered User
There are a lot of resources on the internet. The suggested tunes for the installation odes and degree odes can be found in the "Text Books" or "Monitors" of some Grand Lodges, such as ours here in Maine, which was formerly "Drummond's Monitor" and now the "Maine Masonic Text Book" but still often referred to as "Drummond". Appendant bodies of course have their own music depending upon jurisdiction.
 

MaineMason

Registered User
Thank you. Our lodge was gifted a organ in the 100k price a few months back. It would be nice to hear it played.
It would be a good idea for the Master and his senior officers to work hard to find a brother who can play it. I don't know where you are, but in some places some church organists are also Master Masons. Some Masonic Organists travel in their district playing, I have learned.
 

flipster

Registered User
The organ came from a funeral home (owned by a long time member) a block away. It was a behemoth, and we couldn't lift it onto a trailer. I had two sets of wheel frames, so it went on those. We rolled it out the door, across the highway, to a sidewalk on a different highway. Down the block to the temple, up a ramp, then up 25 steps, the three more in another room. I was scared it would fall over. It didn't. The three of us were very sore. We couldn't find anyone to move it within 50 miles, and they wanted $1,000. to move it. Where there's a will, there's a way.
 
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