Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 1...Music is eminently calculated...
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Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 1 The goal of our ceremonies is to make a lasting impression upon every Mason. For this purpose, we use means that could otherwise be dispensed with if the object of making a Mason was solely to recite a number of phrases. Music is eminently calculated as a means to this end, and the eloquence of the most powerful speaker will come with a double force when enlivened by the sound of music. Unfortunately, our Masonic rituals are somewhat deficient in not giving more precise information about where our music comes from or when it is to be employed. The singing of Odes by the Brethren during Masonic ritual is a part of our tradition, not just in North Carolina but throughout the history of Freemasonry. By including several odes along with the names of specific tunes to which they could be sung in the North Carolina Lodge (“Bahnson”) Manual of 1892, it was the Grand Lodge of North Carolina’s intention then, and now, that the use of music be encouraged and perpetuated. As with the majority of Masonic songbooks from the 18 th & 19 th centuries, the Bahnson Manual odes consist of lyrics without printed music. Well-known hymns or folk tunes are indicated either the first line of the song or hymn most frequently sung to that tune, such as “Nearer, My God, to Thee”, or by names given to the hymn tunes, such as ‘Old Hundred’ and ‘Arlington’. In the grand scheme of preparing the Bahnson Manual, the inclusion of odes was apparently an ongoing process, if not an afterthought. Assistant Grand Lecturer Charles F. Bahnson’s working draft for the Bahnson Manual, dated February 1892, in the archives of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, proposes only four of the six Masonic odes published in the Bahnson Manual later that year. Odes for opening and closing the lodge were not yet included. Moreover, the designation of specific hymn or folk tunes to which the lyrics could be sung also seems to have been in a state of flux. Between February and September, 1892, two familiar hymn tunes were added as alternatives to the two Scottish tunes Auld Lang Syne and Bonny Doon. And a tune (‘Hague’) for the hymn “Hark From The Tomb” (2 nd section of the 3 rd degree) is named in the manuscript, but was not given in the printed manual, leaving the execution of this last piece still to be determined. The selection of very familiar hymn and folk tunes to which Masonic odes was a matter of convenience, so that lyrics could be sung without having to learn new songs. In 1892, and even today, any church- going Mason would know most if not all the tunes in the Bahnson Manual, and could therefore sing the odes instantly. This is true for at least one of the two Scottish tunes, Auld Lang Syne, while it is difficult to determine the popularity of Bonny Doon among North Carolina Masons in 1892. Right Worshipful Brother Dwight M. “Mack” Sigmon’s research on North Carolina Masonic history tells us that “the majority of the Bahnson Manual was obtained and assembled by Bahnson from a book assembled and written by Thomas Smith Webb in 1797 which in turn was taken from writings from William Preston of England years earlier.“ This applies to the Odes as well. They were selected, generally with lyrics and the recommended tunes intact, from several collections of Masonic songs.
Transcript of Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 1...Music is eminently calculated...
Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 1
ThegoalofourceremoniesistomakealastingimpressionuponeveryMason.Forthispurpose,weusemeansthatcouldotherwisebedispensedwithiftheobjectofmakingaMasonwassolelytoreciteanumberofphrases.Musiciseminentlycalculatedasameanstothisend,andtheeloquenceofthemostpowerfulspeakerwillcomewithadoubleforcewhenenlivenedbythesoundofmusic.Unfortunately,ourMasonicritualsaresomewhatdeficientinnotgivingmorepreciseinformationaboutwhereourmusiccomesfromorwhenitistobeemployed.ThesingingofOdesbytheBrethrenduringMasonicritualisapartofourtradition,notjustinNorthCarolinabutthroughoutthehistoryofFreemasonry.ByincludingseveralodesalongwiththenamesofspecifictunestowhichtheycouldbesungintheNorthCarolinaLodge(“Bahnson”)Manualof1892,itwastheGrandLodgeofNorthCarolina’sintentionthen,andnow,thattheuseofmusicbeencouragedandperpetuated.AswiththemajorityofMasonicsongbooksfromthe18th&19thcenturies,theBahnsonManualodesconsistoflyricswithoutprintedmusic.Well-knownhymnsorfolktunesareindicatedeitherthefirstlineofthesongorhymnmostfrequentlysungtothattune,suchas“Nearer,MyGod,toThee”,orbynamesgiventothehymntunes,suchas‘OldHundred’and‘Arlington’.InthegrandschemeofpreparingtheBahnsonManual,theinclusionofodeswasapparentlyanongoingprocess,ifnotanafterthought.AssistantGrandLecturerCharlesF.Bahnson’sworkingdraftfortheBahnsonManual,datedFebruary1892,inthearchivesoftheGrandLodgeofNorthCarolina,proposesonlyfourofthesixMasonicodespublishedintheBahnsonManuallaterthatyear.Odesforopeningandclosingthelodgewerenotyetincluded.Moreover,thedesignationofspecifichymnorfolktunestowhichthelyricscouldbesungalsoseemstohavebeeninastateofflux.BetweenFebruaryandSeptember,1892,twofamiliarhymntuneswereaddedasalternativestothetwoScottishtunesAuldLangSyneandBonnyDoon.Andatune(‘Hague’)forthehymn“HarkFromTheTomb”(2ndsectionofthe3rddegree)isnamedinthemanuscript,butwasnotgivenintheprintedmanual,leavingtheexecutionofthislastpiecestilltobedetermined.TheselectionofveryfamiliarhymnandfolktunestowhichMasonicodeswasamatterofconvenience,sothatlyricscouldbesungwithouthavingtolearnnewsongs.In1892,andeventoday,anychurch-goingMasonwouldknowmostifnotallthetunesintheBahnsonManual,andcouldthereforesingtheodesinstantly.ThisistrueforatleastoneofthetwoScottishtunes,AuldLangSyne,whileitisdifficulttodeterminethepopularityofBonnyDoonamongNorthCarolinaMasonsin1892.RightWorshipfulBrotherDwightM.“Mack”Sigmon’sresearchonNorthCarolinaMasonichistorytellsusthat“themajorityoftheBahnsonManualwasobtainedandassembledbyBahnsonfromabookassembledandwrittenbyThomasSmithWebbin1797whichinturnwastakenfromwritingsfromWilliamPrestonofEnglandyearsearlier.“ThisappliestotheOdesaswell.Theywereselected,generallywithlyricsandtherecommendedtunesintact,fromseveralcollectionsofMasonicsongs.
Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 2
OPENING(p.7):“GreatGod,BeholdBeforeThyThrone”[Tune-OldHundred.LM]Lyrics:ThefirstOdeintheBahnsonManual,“GreatGod,beholdbeforethythrone,abandofbrotherslowlybend”,isaMasonicadaptationoftheChristianhymn“GreatGod,BeholdBeforeThyThrone,aBandofChildrenLowlyBend”,firstpublished[Fig.1]asHymn#83inAmericanSundaySchoolPsalmody;Or,HymnsAndMusic,ForTheUseOfSunday-SchoolsAndTeacher'sMeetings;WithAManualOfInstruction(Philadelphia,1832).TheMasonicadaptationoftheselyrics[Fig.2]wastheworkofGeorgeWingateChase,inTheMasonicHarp:ACollectionofMasonicOdes,Hymns,Songs,&c.(Boston,1858).Adaptationandaugmentationofnon-MasoniclyricsforMasonicpurposesisacommonpractice,asshownbyacomparisonoftheoriginalandMasonically-adaptedversionsbelow.
Fig.1.#83,AmericanSundaySchoolPsalmody(1832) Fig2.#110,Chase’sMasonicHarp(1858)Tune:‘OldHundred’isthemostfamoushymntuneinProtestantism,andthetunetowhich“TheDoxology”istraditionallysung.ItsnamereferstoitsoriginasthemusicalsettingforPsalm100intheGenevaPsalterof1551.Psaltersaresettingsofthe150PsalmsofDavidreworkedasrhymingpoemsinverse,wherebytheycouldbesungtoa,andaretheprecursorstohymnals.“L.M.”referstothemeterofeachverseofthispoem,anabbreviationfor‘LongMeter’.Longmeterconsistsoffourlines,eachofwhichcontainseightbeats(syllables.)Beginningaround1700,themeterforeverytuneaswellaseverysetoflyricswasindicatedinhymnalsandMasonicSongbooks,usinganumericalorletterabbreviation(L.M.isalsorepresentedby8.8.8.8.),tohelpsingersmixandmatchlyricswithotherappropriatetunes.AswithmostMasonicsongbooks,someofthetunesintheBahnsonManualhavemetersindicated,usefulinformationforfindingandusingothertunesthatfittheselyrics.
Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 3
CLOSING(p.8):“Brethren,WeMeetAgain”[Tune–NearerMyGodtoThee]Lyrics:ThepropertitlegiventothisMasonicpoemis“Brothers,GoodNight.”Itsoriginsareuncertain,thoughtheearliestidentifiableappearanceatpresentisinthe1888ProceedingsoftheGrandLodgeofNovaScotia,tobesungaftertheclosingchargeattheInstallationofOfficers.
Fig.3.Four-partarrangementin6/4(!)of“Brothers,GoodNight”formen’svoices.TheMysticChord.(1908)
Tune:“Brothers,GoodNight”isubiquitouslysungintheUnitedStatestoDr.LowellMason’stune,Bethany,thetunetowhichthehymn“Nearer,MyGod,toThee”issung.LowellMason(1792-1872)isregardedastheFatherofAmericanChurchMusic.HealsointroducemusicintotheBostonPublicSchoolSystem,thefirsttimethatmusicwasformallytaughtintheUnitedStates,publishedthefirstcollectionofSundaySchoolmusic,andcomposedmorethan1,600tunesforhymnsinging.Despitehissurname,hewasnotaFreemason.NordidheresideinLowell,Massachusetts,atownwhoseMasonicLodgetodayconsistsalmostexclusivelyofLowellMasons.
Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 4
ENTEREDAPPRENTICE’SDEGREE(p.13):“Behold,HowPleasant”[Tunes:AuldLangSyneorArlington]Lyrics:ThisOdeisaparaphraseofthe133rdPsalm,inaversesettingthatpermitsittobesunginthemannerofahymn.AlthoughtheoriginaltextisfromHolyScripture,thissetting’sauthorhascleverlyextendedtheconceptof‘brethren’intheScriptureinto“theAcceptedBrotherhood,”makingthisadistinctlyMasonicOde.ItwasfirstpublishedinTheMasonicTrestle-Board,AdaptedToTheNationalSystemOfWorkAndLecturesAsRevised...ByTheUnitedStatesMasonicConvention...Baltimore,5843.Notetheremarkablecommentonthe‘moregeneralintroductionofMusicintotheLodges’[Fig.4]whichsuggeststhatsingingscriptureinsteadofrecitingitwasarecentinnovation.
Fig.4.“Behold!HowPleasant”asappearedinTheMasonicTrestle-Board(2ed,1846:p.29.)Tune#1-AuldLangSyne:ThisisthefirstoftwoOdesintheBahnsonManualforwhichachoicebetweenatraditionalfolktuneandahymnisgiven,ostensiblyincasetheBrethrendidnotknowtheScottishfolktuneAuldLangSyne.ThatAuldLangSynewasprobablyBahnson’spreferredtunefortheselyricsmaybeinferredfromtheFebruary1892autographmanuscript,wherethealternativehymntune“or‘Arlington’”wasaddedasanafterthoughttotherightoftheneatly-centered“AuldLangSyne.”
Fig.5:Separatesheet(insertedintotheworkingautographmanuscript)showingthelateradditionof“or‘Arlington”’asanalternativetunefortheOde,“Behold!HowPleasant.”
Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 5
AuldLangSyneidentifiesthistraditionalScottishfolktunebythetitleofthepoem,byBrotherRobertBurns,usuallysungtoit.In1788,BrotherBurnswrotethatitwastobesungto“anoldsong,oftheoldentimes,andwhichhasneverbeeninprint,noreveninmanuscriptuntilItookitdownfromanoldman.”AuldLangSyneusesamusicalscaleconsistingofonlyfivepitchesperoctave,equivalenttoplayingonlytheraisedblackkeysonakeyboard.ThisscaleischaracteristicofmanyEnglish,ScottishandAmericanfolkmelodies,(Oh,Susannah!)andiscalledthe“pentatonic”(meaning‘fivetone’)scale.Tune#2–Arlington:ThistunearosefromadanceinEnglishcomposerThomasArne’s1762operaArtaxerxes.Arne’smostfamouscompositionisRuleBritannia.Thetunewassimplifiedandturnedintoahymnin1786,whereitappearedinSacredHarmony–ACollectionofPsalmtunes,AncientandMo-dern.(Boston,1788.[Fig.6]By1878,thetunehadbeencalledintoMasonicserviceinRobertMcCoy’sMasonicVocalManual(NewYork,1878)forthelyrics,“Nowwemustcloseourlaborshere”.
Fig.6:Thefirstappearanceofthetune“Arlington”,named“Artaxerxes”,asahymn.SacredHarmony(1788).
Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 6
FELLOWCRAFT’SDEGREE(p.41):“Come,Craftsmen,Assembled”[Tune:PortugueseHymn.11s]Lyrics:ThisOdewasinwidespreadusesometimebefore1850,andappearedinThomasPowers’MasonicMelodies:AdaptedToTheCeremoniesAndFestivalsOfTheFraternity(Boston:1844)inauniquearrangementinwhichapairofsingers(the‘Duet’)wouldsingtwolines,theneveryoneelse(the“Cho(rus))repeatedthoselines.Soonthereafter,numerousMasonicSongbooksincludedit.[Fig7.]
Fig.7:“Come,Craftsmen”inanearlyandunusualvocalarrangement.Powers.MasonicMelodies(1844).
Tune:IntheearliestMasonicpublicationsofthisOde,itwassungtothetuneofapopularEnglishsongcalled“WhatFairy-LikeMusic.”ComposedinLondonandfrequentlyperformedinthe1830sonstageandinthehomeasavocalduet,thefulltitleis:“Whatfairylikemusic!:agondalasongorduetassungbyMissLoveandMr.Braham:withthemostenthusiasticapplauseattheTheatreRoyalDruryLane/thepoetrybyMrs.CornwallBaronWilson;themusicbyJosephdePinna.”Publicenthusiasmforthissongeventuallywaned,andalongwithit,thefamiliarityneededtousethetuneinMasonicsongbooks.Bythe1870sMasonicmusiclookedtoothertunestoaccompanythispowerfulMasonicOde.Giventheunusualmeter,fourlinesofelevensyllableseach(indicatedintheBahnsonManualas“11s”),notfewfamiliartunesexistedtowhichthisOdecouldbesung.TheBahnsonManualselectedthetunethatMalmene’sFreemason’sHymnalused,“ThePortugueseHymn.”Thisextremelypopulartuneappearedinmany19thc.AmericanShape-Notehymnalsas“Plenary”,butitismostcommonlyknowntodayas“AdesteFideles”,thetunetowhichwesingtheChristmashymn“OCome,AllYeFaithful.”Theoriginofthetune“AdesteFideles”iscomplicatedandhasnobearingonitsusebyFreemasonry.Itwascalled“PortugueseHymn”,thenamebywhichitappearsintheBahnsonManual,becausetheDukeofLeeds,attendingaconcertatthePortugueseembassychapelinLondonin1795,wassoimpressedbythetunethathecommissionedafullermusicalarrangementofitbemade.Thiswasperformedtwoyearslater,inthefamous"ConcertofAncientMusic"series,whereitwascalled"ThePortugueseHymn"simplybecausetheDukemistakenlyassumedthatthetunewasoriginallyPortuguese.
Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 7
MASTERMASON’SDEGREE,1stSection:(p.54-55):“LetUsRememberinOurYouth”Lyrics:ThisOdeisaparaphraseofHolyScripture,Ecclesiastes12:1-7.Byimposingregularmeteronthesewords,theyweretransformedintoversesthatcouldbesung,aswiththeEnteredApprentice’sOde,“Behold,HowPleasant.”RabbinicaltraditionholdsthatEcclesiastes,whoseauthoridentifieshimselfonlybythepseudonym“theGatherer”and“sonofDavid,KingofJerusalem”waswrittenbyKingSolomon,inhisoldage,asasummaryofthemeaningoflifeandthebestwaytolive.ThisOdemadeanearlyappearanceinCharlesW.Moore’sMasonicTrestle-Board(Boston,1846),andwassoonadoptedbymostAmericanMasonicsongbooksandintegratedintotheritualofmanyGrandJurisdictions.TheBahnsonManualusesonlytwoofthethreeversesshowninFig.8,butseparatesthemvisuallysotheyappeartobefourverses.Thiswasostensiblydoneforclarity,incasetheyweresungtothealternatehymntune,Hamburg,whichisonlyhalfthelengthoftheScottishtune,BonnyDoon.Thatthefirsttwoversesbothbeginwith“LetUs”suggeststhatthetwo-verserenditionmayfeelpoeticallysuperior.Moreover,whensungtoHamburg(oranyotherLongMetertune)thesecondverseinthefour-verserenditionbeginsinmid-phrase,with“or”.ThesetwoaspectsfavorperformanceofthisOdetothetuneBonnyDoon.
Fig.9:Firstappearanceof“LetUsRemember”fromp.53ofMasonicTrestle-Board(1846)
Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 8
Tune#1:BonnyDoon:Correctlyspelledas“BonnieDoon’,thisisnotactuallyanancientScottishfolktune,butan18thc.compositionmeanttosoundlikeone,bylimitingthemelodytothepentatonicscaleasdescribedinthenarrative(above)overAuldLangSyne.In1791,BrotherRobertBurnswroteapoementitled,“YeBanksandBraeso'BonnieDoon”andsetouttofindasuitabletunesothatitcouldbesung.Thebeautifultunehechose,perhapshismostpopularsongtoday,wascomposedbyanamateursingerinEdinburgh,BrotherJamesMiller,withafewhelpingtouchesfromaprofessionalorganist.Fromthattimesince,thetuneitselfhasbeennamedafterhispoem,BonnieDoon.ThisisaveryusefultuneforMasonstoknow,becauseitisthesamesettingtowhichMasonssingBrotherRobertBurns’muchbeloved“FarewelltotheBrethren”attheclosingofMasonicsocialgatherings.Tune#2–Hamburg:Thissimplehymntune,composedbyLowellMason(composerfor“Bethany/Nearer,MyGod,toThee)in1824,makescleveruseofaverylimitedrangeofonlyfivenotes.Itfirstappearedinthe3rdeditionoftheHandelandHaydnMusicSocietyHymnal(Boston,1825),whereitissaidtohavebeeninspiredbyanancientGregorianchant.Ofthefourlines(orstaffs)ofmusicinFig10(below),themelodyisnotwhereonemightexpectittobe,ontheuppermostline,butisfoundonthethirdlinedown.Thiswasdonesoorganistscouldmoreeasilyaccompanythehymnbyreadingthemelodyandthebasslinedirectlybelowit.Thosewhoreadmusicwillobservethattheoriginaltunehassincebeenslightlyaltered.
Fig10.Firsteditionofthehymntune“Hamburg”fromtheHandel&HaydnSocietyHymnalof1825.
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MASTERMASON’SDEGREE:(p.56):“SolemnStrikestheFuneralChime”[Tune:Pleyel’sHymn.7s]Lyrics:ThisOdeisusedinmanyAmericanGrandJurisdictionsandisgenerallyreferredtoas“thedirge.”“Dirge”isaMiddleEnglish(1175-1250AD)termmeaning“afuneralsongortune,oroneexpressingmourningincommemorationofthedead,aswellasanycompositionresemblingsuchasongortuneincharacter,asapoemoflamentforthedeadorsolemn,mournfulmusic.”Thisaptlyexplainsitsplacementandpurposeinour3rddegreeaswellasMasonicfuneralsinmanyGrandJurisdictions.ItsauthorisBrotherDavidVinton,bestknownforpublishingaselectionentitled“Masonic,SentimentalandHumorousSongs,Duets,Glees,Canons,RoundsandCanzonets”underthetitleTheMasonicMinstrel(Dedham,MA;1816),animmenselypopularMasonichymnalthatsold12,000copies.BrotherDavidVintonhadstrongtiestotheCarolinas.ThoughbornandraisedinRhodeIsland,hewasanitinerantMasoniclecturer,particularoftheYorkRite,intheSouthernUnitedStates.In1821,hewasbroughtuponMasonicchargesbytheGrandLodgeofNorthCarolinaformakingmanuscriptnotesofMasonry.In1833,hediedatRussellville,KY,andwasinterredwithoutbenefitofaMasonicburialandprocessionthatmighthaveincludedhisownOde,wereitnotforhis“lapseofsobriety.”
Fig11.PublicdenouncementofDavidVintonbytheGLofNC.RaleighRegister(Raleigh,NC)18May1821,p.4.
Narrative for the North Carolina Lodge “Bahnson” Manual Odes 10
Tune:Pleyel’sHymn:Thistuneisverypopulartodayasasettingforthechildren’shymn,“ChildrenoftheHeavenlyKing”andseveralotherhymns.Themusicisfromthe4thStringQuartet,op.7(1791)byBrotherIgnazJosephPleyel.Whereverthe“Masonicdirge”issung,itisalwaysweddedtothistune,whichexistsinavarietyofvocalarrangementsinmanyMasonicsongbooksandAhimanRezons(BooksofConstitutions)frommanyGrandJurisdictionsacrosstheUnitedStates.
Fig.12.Earlyprintingof“SacredStrikes”settoPleyels’Hymn.Bro.LukeEastman’s,MasonicMelodies(1825)
BothPleyelandhisbrilliantlysuccessfulcompositionteacher,FranzJosephHaydn,wereFreemasons.Pleyel’scareerascomposerandperformer,thoughlessstellar,wascomplimentedbybuildingexquisitepianosofhisdesignandmanufacture,whichChopinwassaidtohavepreferredoveranyother.
