Hornsey Lodge

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In 1390, the legions of Masons chiselling away up ladders on England’s cathedrals and castles were told very firmly ‘And muswyke hyt ys a swete song’.*

That’s pretty clear. In obedience to this ancient Craft directive, South Norwood Lodge No 1139 is coming up to its first birthday as a Special Interest Lodge devoted to rock music. ‘Masons have always loved rock, the architects of this new direction confirm. ‘It’s a theme we celebrate.’

At its most recent meeting in November, Brethren from across the country descended on London to attend a meeting in which everything from Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Metallica, and Pantera rang out around the hallowed space of Room 17 in Freemasons’ Hall. It was a dramatic alternative to the organist setting about the opening ode. Once underway, members and guests took all in their stride as the proceedings were exuberantly music-orientated, assisted by an impressive selection of guitar wands being expertly wielded by the DC and Deacons.

The Lodge celebrates all things rock inside and outside meetings. Members, guests, family and friends socialize and go to live music events. (Within less than a week of their last meeting, four members were spotted with family and friends at the Hammersmith Odeon celebrating an excellent show by veteran headbangers, Saxon.)

The highlight of the Lodge’s Masonic year will be a summer pilgrimage to a gig or festival outside London. This is about outreach as well as spending time together, affording those who want to discuss their Masonry opportunities to answer questions from the public about why there are squares and compasses festooning denim and leather jackets.

The members take their music seriously. Every meeting has a ‘Schola Mvsicæ’ (Music School) for a daily advancement in rock knowledge. A brother plays a tune through the Lodge’s amplifier, then delivers a short talk about it. The very first was Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Freebird, which allowed the members to luxuriate in a reverie of shrimp and grits while nine minutes of elegiac, liquid gold wafted loudly between the thrones and around the columns, and life’s cares ebbed away. The list so far ranges from the Beatles to the Berzerker. And could there be anything more Masonic than the complex and invigorating exploration of duality provided by Ukrainian metalcore band Jinjer’s song Pisces? It’s all here, and you can find the playlist on Spotify under Rock Lödge – Schola Mvsicæ.)

So who joins? ‘Rock’, the founders affirm, ‘covers everything from Elvis to Metallica. If guitars and drums are powering things along, it has a home with us.’ Members come from all over, with a wide range of connections to rock, which is interpreted broadly as a genre. A lifelong lover of System of a Down is likely to find himself sitting among aficionados of everyone from Bob Dylan and the Kinks to Motörhead and Amon Amarth. ‘It is, though,’ they add, ‘fair to say that hard rock and heavy metal are particularly well supported.’

The members and guests at meetings range from musicians and those working in the wider industry to the jovial majority who simply love rock music and want to spend time with others who are likeminded. Several members and guests are well known in the music scene, and one band has already formed from within the Lodge and is out and about gigging loudly.

As with rock itself, the demographic of the Lodge is wide, with members and guests from their early twenties to eighties. At the November meeting, there was a very healthy sea of light blue, more than one Volume of Sacred Law, and English was not the only language heard as members greeted each other on arrival.

The project is a brilliant move by John Parry and the Metropolitan Grand Lodge team for Special Interest Lodges as, when the founders were looking for a Lodge in need of new blood, John identified South Norwood Lodge No. 1139. It is a marriage made in heaven as South Norwood has a proud musical history, with its members including the founder of Orange Amps, one of Britain’s best loved guitar amplifier brands – handsome stacks that have graced the stages of artists from Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to Korn and Slipknot – alongside a former managing director of one of the world’s best loved record labels.

The journey began in a Borough pub a few Christmases ago. After joining in the traditional Christmas carol singing lifting the rafters of the front bar, a handful of Masons and partners retired to an upper room for a festive lunch. Bemoaning the dire muzak being unstoppably piped into the room, one commented to another how much fun it would be to have a Lodge devoted to rock music. Metropolitan Grand Lodge liked the idea, and so it happened.

As you would expect, in addition to the usual Masonic ritual, the Lodge has some of its own additional workings, which you will have to visit to discover. All the usual ritual is there, solemnly and appropriately honoured and central to proceedings, but there are some fun additions peculiar to the Lodge. Their first initiation is not far off, and it will be a sight to be seen (and absolutely heard).

As we all know, men’s mental health is woefully low on many people’s list of priorities. Masonry, happily, has always offered deep bonds of camaraderie hard to find elsewhere, and is now focusing very strongly on helping men find mental support and resources when needed. What many people don’t know is that rock and metal have also been identified as beneficial for wellbeing. The British Psychological Society recently confirmed what all rockers know: rock is great for your zing, and rockers are among the loveliest, friendliest, most down-to-earth people you will ever meet.

Any brother interested in visiting or joining should contact the Secretary on . For Those About to Knock and Rock, We Salute You!

* ‘And music it is a sweet song’, from the Regius Poem, part of the Old Charges.

This article is part of Arena Magazine Issue 59 – Christmas 2025.
Arena Magazine is the official online magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in Arena Issue 59 here.

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