MODERN AND MASONIC MUSIC

An Address, Accompanied by
A Visual and Sound PowerPoint Presentation
By WBro Kevin Allen, PGBB
For the Hawke’s Bay Research Lodge No 305
On Monday, 2nd November 2009

If music is the food of life, then play on

My paper and accompanying music is to show how times have changed and I believe Freemasonry could change with it. It features two Freemasons, their modern music and their influence on Freemasonry. It also includes other types of music influenced by Freemasonry and music created out of Masonic poetry.

But first some background. I was brought up listening to Tchaikovsky and other serious musicians at the same time as listening to my mother playing Frank Sinatra, her favourite singer. That, brethren, was the music played in the family home of my childhood.
In my teenage years the music of the sixty’s was of particular interest to me. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were the essence of my youth. To this day I have a collection of Beatles records, tapes and CD’s and often listen to the Beatles on the Internet via a radio site.

When I became a Freemason in 1977 the music in the lodge meetings was very Church like and some of the singing was far from musical but was, at least, at times, enthusiastic. The meetings that had no organist were flat and lifeless. The singing was also a little lifeless and did little for those attending the meeting. Some lodges, realising that music was essential, took advantage of modern technology and used recorded music that was of a high standard and uplifting to those wanting to sing along.

At the Grand Lodge Communications, held in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2008, Lodge Hinemoa No 122 moved a change to Rule 37b of the Book of Constitution, to give recognition of the use of electronic equipment for music. This allows a new office of  “Music Officer”, with a jewel of a treble clef appended to his collar. Lodges could have either a Music Officer or an Organist, but not both. The motion was passed. Music is one of the Liberal Arts and Sciences that all Freemasons are urged to study.

On 1st May 2006, VWBro Owen Brown, GLec, PM of this Lodge, gave an address on Music, Musicians and Masonry. The music and musicians were all from the past and the ones he referred to have now passed to the Grand Lodge above. I want to discuss modern music and, in particular, modern Masonic music.

As an introduction to this modern music I want to start with a song called “Imagine” sung by John Lennon, also now deceased (the song was played). It is a song that has some of the basic tenets and principles of Freemasonry. It crosses all walks of life and is founded on the principle of treating everyone the way you yourself would like to be treated. Lennon sings about a “Brotherhood of Man”. A land where there is no religion, no possessions, everyone living in peace. What a tremendous philosophy.

Brethren, John Lennon sung to the world to get his message home. Music is one form of medium to get our message out there. Communicating freely and openly with friends and family will help spread the message of Freemasonry. Too often Freemasons remain silent and this is borne out by the modern song “The Sounds of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel (the song was played).
There are many examples of modern music that have a meaning to Freemasons. Phil Collins, the lead singer of the group “Genesis”, sings a song called “Another Day in Paradise” which is a song about Charity (the song was played). Led Zeppelin sing “Stairway to Heaven” which might remind you of the First Degree Tracing Board (the song was played).

There are many groups who have used signs and symbols aligned to Freemasonry on the cover of their albums. An example is Vulture Culture by “The Alan Parsons Project” group. On the cover was the ouroboros, a symbol in alchemy, the cyclical phases of Nature, the eternal return, it symbolises the unity of everything.

Another example is the group Ultravox and the cover of their single titled “Hymn”. The group has nothing to do with Freemasonry yet they use the Square and Compass sign.

The reference to Freemasonry is also used in the lyrics of songs. There is even a rock group called Freemasons who are not members, but trade on the name and its association with mysticism. A recent album of theirs is entitled “Shakedown” and the cover clearly depicts a Masonic grip.  There is also the Square and Compass in the letter ‘o’ of their name.

But there are Freemasons overseas who have written music specifically for Freemasonry and with definitive meaning to us as Freemasons. These musicians demonstrate the use of modern music to promote Freemasonry.

One such person is Bro Howie Damron, a 33 Degree Freemason in the Scottish rite, United States of America. He was primarily a professional singer who performed in Nashville for over two decades. He stopped performing on the road when he found time away from his family hard to cope with. He joined Freemasonry as member of the Scottish rite and is also a Shriner.

One of the songs he performs is “I’m a Master Mason”, the lyrics of the song are self-explanatory and they reflect the pride he feels to be a Freemason (the song was played). This should encourage other Freemasons to share in that pride. In fact Howie Damron has gone back on the road and is performing his music for all people. He makes a point of performing music with a message, particularly towards Freemasonry. He also performs for handicapped and disabled sportsmen.

It is my belief that the song, “I’m a Master Mason”, could be used to brighten up the Third Degree ceremony and instil some pride back into Freemasonry moving away from the traditional odes.  Modern Freemasonry is multicultural with men of all races, religions and beliefs.  This should reinforce the necessity to cater for all our brethren.

There are a number of lodges with their own special lodge songs but none that I personally know of, that sing the song in the lodge room, only in the refectory. But it is sung with passion and vigour.  Lodge Manchester No 287, New Zealand Constitution, is an example of this.

Earlier this year, VWBro Colin Heyward, PGLec, PM of this lodge, emailed to all research members on his mailing list, a copy of the song “The Masonic Ring” sung by Howie Damron (the song was played). The title is Masonic but there is no mention or reference to Freemasonry in the song. However any Freemason can relate to the song and the symbolism of the Square and Compasses worn on a Masonic Ring.

Howie Damron wrote the song on the night he attended his son’s initiation ceremony. His son, aged twenty-one years, who was born with a chest defect, had just had major chest surgery when two steel bars had been inserted. He was still in pain and discomfort but was so keen to do his entered apprentice degree that he insisted on going through the ceremony on that night even though he had been advised to wait for a couple of months.

As his son entered the lodge Howie looked across at his own father, who was present, and saw the tears on his father’s face. He saw his father’s Masonic ring and it reminded him of his upbringing and what his father had told him about Freemasonry. As his son perambulated the lodge taking each painful step he was inspired by his son’s courage. He found some paper and started writing the song during the ceremony. It was a song only intended for his father and son.

That song was recorded after his friend Bro Rick Stow encouraged him to come out of retirement and write songs from the heart to promote Freemasonry. From then on Howie, with other Freemasons, started performing again under the banner of the “Masonic Pride Team”. Howie Damron continues to use his music to promote Freemasonry and Charities by performing fund raising events for lodges throughout America and Canada. He is currently fully booked until the end of 2011.

He recently wrote a special song for the Grand Lodge of Ohio’s Bicentennial meeting and the words for the song tell the history of the Grand Lodge. It is entitled “Ohio’s Grand Masonic Pride Bicentennial” (the song was played).

Bro Harm Timmerman is the Senior Warden of a lodge in Gronigen, Netherlands (L’Union Provinciale) and he also a member of the York Rite and the Royal Arch. Bro Timmerman, a music teacher at Stenden University, has been a Freemason for eight years. He has always had a love of music, as does his wife who sings in a local choir. After Harm was initiated into Freemasonry he read numerous books on the history of Freemasonry. He was interested in the past composers of Masonic music and, as he did more research, he found there was little, if any, modern music of Freemasonry. He then worked for three years to produce an album that related to Freemasonry. He worked with other Freemasons and their relatives to produce music that is influenced by Masonic composers such as Mozart.

The album he produced, entitled “The Temple of Humanity”, is actually named after a painting by Pieter Torensma, an artist from the Frisian district.

Pieter Torensma’s painting

The title song Temple of Humanity is based on ritual. In the song itself it mentions to drink a bitter cup that is symbolic of the first degree performed in the Netherlands. In the first degree a candidate while blindfolded is given a drink and has to trust his guide that it is safe to drink. I have experienced this degree myself and after completing the ceremony was told that the drink was tonic water, hence the bitter taste.

All of the songs in Bro Timmerman’s album have a Masonic theme and he gives the songs a ritual based composition. Each song has its own accompanying artwork that fits with the theme. The genre of music is symphonic rock. The music is likened to that performed by Mike Oldfield and Pink Floyd.

Here we see Freemasonry entering popular music for the first time. It is a Twenty-first Century performance and it is like undergoing a musical ritual. The album is composed and produced by someone who is initiated, both in Freemasonry as well as in music. In co-operation with experienced musicians, The Temple of Humanity is a professionally produced authentic, unique and original CD of twelve tracks. The singer on the album is the son of a Freemason.

Bro Harm Timmerman used several sources of inspiration to create the music, lyrics and artwork. Examples include: -
* Soundscape of a baby's heart-beating when it's still in the mother’s womb; as a symbol of the birth of the spiritual man (Out of the dark);
* Lyrics coming from rituals (The Temple of Humanity)
* A translation of in diesn'n heilgen halle; the Mozart aria coming from the Masonic opera The Magic Flute (Walking Through this Sacred Place);
* Walking Through this Sacred Place is a jazz tune as a tribute to jazz musicians/composers who where Freemasons;
* The well known threefold Masonic chord (at the beginning of Brotherhood of Man);
* Lyrics inspired by Paradise Lost from John Milton (The Ancient of Days);
* Inspiration from Kabala sources (Brotherhood of Man);
* The three knocks with a hammer that starts a ritual (Brotherhood of Man) and that ends the ritual (Tracing to the West)
* Literature; for example, books by Wilmshurst, The Meaning of Masonry

“Temple of Humanity” tracks:
Track 1. Turn the Key is about the search for truth and making (sometimes hard) decisions to be initiated within Freemasonry.
Track 2. Brotherhood of Man details the impact of initiation, with some Hermetic thoughts.
Track 3. Children of the Widow relates the loneliness and tasks of a Master Mason.
Track 4. Out of the Dark tells of the legendry and mystic history of Freemasonry.
Track 5. The Ancient of Days is about the GAOTU (Artwork by William Blake)
Track 6. Masonry Dissected deals with conspiracy theories and puts them into a more realistic perspective.
Track 7. Documentum Intellige is about the danger and impact of being exposed to hidden parts of the spirit (Latin lyrics coming from the Bernini Elephant in Rome; the song has a 24 voice choir).
Track 8. Seven Step Staircase is about entering the middle chamber of King Solomon’s Temple.
Track 9. Walking Through this Sacred Place is about walking into the lodge and is a tribute to Brother Mozart.
Track 10. Temple of Humanity is about the actual purpose of Freemasonry and that Masonic work is sometimes hard.
Track 11. Pathway on My Own is about Freemasonry as an individual and a collective way of working alone/together to come to consciousness.
Track 12. XXXXXX is about being a Freemason and contributing to the great scheme of things until death.

My favourite song on the CD is Turn the Key. It has particular significance to me as a person and as a Freemason, as, not only does it illustrate the difficult decision to become a Freemason, but it also points out that you need to look inside yourself to see what sort of person you aspire to be. To be the best you can be and to live up to the principles of Freemasonry - Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.
I now draw your attention to the artwork of the album as it illustrates some of the symbols of Freemasonry including the three Tracing Boards.

  
First Degree                    Second Degree
 
  
Third Degree

Out of the Dark                           The Antient of Days

Brotherhood of Man                Pathway on My Own

Temple of Humanity

Lastly Brethren I want to tell you of a woman in Freemasonry: Most Illustrious Brother Charlotte Jones, born in Durham, England in 1917, a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Freemason. She was the author of some Masonic poetry that was converted into rap music by well known Cuban / Puerto Rican artist SoFla who, with his group “SoFla Kingz”, has created a unique style of rap, hip-hop and Latin percussion sounds in his recordings. Creating a musical composition of Masonic poems was a most unusual request for him, especially since he was not familiar with Freemasonry.

This was his reaction: I felt while I was creating these songs like I was part of a higher purpose. Although I did not write the words, they seemed to fall right in place with the music and overall, the creative process was unforgettable. Thanks for the opportunity to be part of this project! God Bless.

The idea of creating the CD was not only to showcase how the old and new can coexist. It is also an invitation to start the discussions, to re-examine old beliefs and outdated traditions. Will we Freemasons remember to see what is in another’s heart rather than what is chiselled in our stones and books of law? Doing so would infuse new vitality into an ancient mystery tradition so that the institutions of Freemasonry can regain their relevance and leadership in civil societies, furthering the progress of humanity.
I will now play one of the three songs recorded by SoFla Kingz, entitled Masons Building Three by Three (the song was played).

Harm Timmerman and Howie Damron continue to promote Freemasonry to the outside world through their music. There are Freemasons who now consider this as a good way to promote the craft. With the advent of films, such as The Da Vinci Code and Brothers at War, featuring Freemasonry in the public arena, the time is right for promotion. I believe their Music will be a catalyst in the resurgence of Freemasonry.
 
Conclusion: Brethren, I believe that there is a place for modern music in Freemasonry. Not only to negate the traditional influence in our ceremonies but to promote Freemasonry and show that we can move into the Twenty-first Century and keep pace with a changing society. This will enable us to be relevant within the modern society and attract good men to join the Craft.

Postscript: A CD of the music, as well as copies of the lyrics, is available upon request from the author or from the Hawke’s Bay Research Lodge No 305