Lodge Music
Can we bring it back?
In the early days of Freemasonry, music was a big part of our gatherings. Instruments were played and songs were sung. Joyful noise, as someone much more eloquent than I once said.
Sometime in our history, this changed. Singing during Lodge meetings was no longer the thing, rather accompaniments to the work of the Lodge on the piano or organ were. Lots and lots of our Lodges still have those pianos, now largely sitting unused.
I think that there’s a really basic reason for that. Less and less people have learned to play the piano in more recent generations.
But that doesn’t mean that people have stopped making music. I know lots of Brothers who play the guitar, harmonica, other instruments. And of course, we all have our voices.
Most of our Lodges have lost music. It just isn’t a part of Lodge meetings and gatherings anymore.
Is that a bad thing?
If so, shouldn’t we try to bring it back?
If no one can use the piano, shouldn’t we replace it with something else?
Has our loss of membership tracked with our loss of music? Does that point to a lack of joy within our Masonic gatherings?
I look forward to discussing this with you.
Keep the pianos, even unused, until future generations rediscover their value.
It’s sad that beautiful instruments are sometimes given away or even junked simply because tastes have changed - for a while.
Recorded music, in the hands of someone who knows what to do, is better than nothing.