28 January,2017 09:36 AM IST | | Suprita Mitter
Shrouded in secrecy, the Freemasons are one of the oldest secret fraternities in the world
The Bombay Chamber Orchestra
Shrouded in secrecy, the Freemasons are one of the oldest secret fraternities in the world. Started almost 800 years ago in Scotland (some say, England), the closed society has been active in India too. It is based on the medieval stonemason guilds that built castles and cathedrals in Europe. Modern Freemasons use the tools, traditions and terminology of those stonemasons as allegories for building temples in the hearts of men. Many non-Freemasons know of the organisation through fiction author Dan Brown, who wrote of their rituals and beliefs vividly in his books.
The Freemasons' Hall at Damodardas Sukhadwal Road, Fort. Pic/Bipin Kokate
It however, is little known that Western Classical music has been deeply influenced by Freemasonry, and many leading composers were Freemasons. To celebrate the completion of three hundred years (Tercentenary) of their formation, the society along with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra, has invited performers from India and abroad, and have put together a musical soiree. The programme includes Lizsts Hungarian Fantasia for piano and orchestra and other popular works by Masonic composers, including Mozart, Sibelius, Gershwin and others. American conductor, Karen Gorden, will conduct the 50-member orchestra while Mumbai-born pianist Marialena Fernandes, currently based in Vienna, will be the featured soloist. The funds raised from the event will go towards the cause of dementia.
