Masońskie śpiewy w „Jutrzence pod Spiżowym Łańcuchem” (przyczynek do działalności dzierżoniowskiej loży w 1. połowie XIX wieku)

Abstract

The speculative freemasonry, formed at the beginning of the 18th century, although originally aimed to unite people, almost from the start was internally divided. A similar situation arose in Germany, where, beside Grosse National-Mutterloge “zu den drei Weltkugeln” structures, there were lodges of Grosse Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland and Grosse Loge von Preussen, also known under the name: “Royal York zur Freundschaft”. On the origins of German freemasonry, the article discusses the history of a freemasonry workshop named “Aurora zur ehernen Kette”, which was created in 1815 in Reichenbach in Silesia (near Dzierżoniów). Because music, creating the pompous atmosphere of Masonic liturgy, played the key role in freemasonry ceremonies right from the beginning, many lodges aimed to prepare – as a point of honour – their own song book. Also, brothers from “Aurora” of Dzierżonów took these measures and in 1839 they published the volume entitled “Neue Auswahl von Gesängen für die Loge Aurora zur ehernen Kette in Reichenbach”, which contained 83 lodge songs intended for various occasions and divided into 11 thematic parts. This song-book, dedicated to lodge life, contained pieces for almost every lodge life situation. Unfortunately, this publication includes only texts of pieces, so nowadays, we are not able to reconstruct the melodies, which used to ring out in temple walls of Dzierżonów. Having the knowledge of the nature of the lodge ceremonies’ musical settings at that time, we can only guess that the factor, which was their quintessence, is to be found in the element of gravity and momentousness.