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Story
March 2, 1922
The Savannah Tribune
Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia
What is this article about?
Biographical anecdote about the unnamed author of the famous Masonic funeral song 'Solemn Strikes the Funeral Chimes,' a former lecturer expelled for drunkenness, who died nearly 100 years ago and was buried without fraternal rites, underscoring temperance.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
SAD END OF BRILLIANT LIFE
Not many brethren know that the song so well known to all Masons, "Solemn Strikes the Funeral Chimes" was written by a man who died nearly a hundred years ago, and who was a Masonic Lecturer at the time, but who, on account of the drink habit fell from grace and was expelled from the fraternity.
His beautiful words, set to the music of Pleyel's hymn has been sung by thousands, both in the tiled recesses of the Lodge room and in the silent city of the dead. Thousands have marched around the lodge room and around the open grave, keeping time to its mournful cadence, with hearts lifted in prayer, and with eyes dimmed with tears.
Thousands of good men have been lowered into the narrow house while the brethren sang "Here Another Guest We Bring," yet the author was buried in a grave unhallowed by the brotherhood and unaccompanied by the lambskin and the sprig of evergreen, because he failed to regard the first of the cardinal virtues, temperance, so forcibly impressed upon us at the very beginning of our Masonic life—Selected.
Not many brethren know that the song so well known to all Masons, "Solemn Strikes the Funeral Chimes" was written by a man who died nearly a hundred years ago, and who was a Masonic Lecturer at the time, but who, on account of the drink habit fell from grace and was expelled from the fraternity.
His beautiful words, set to the music of Pleyel's hymn has been sung by thousands, both in the tiled recesses of the Lodge room and in the silent city of the dead. Thousands have marched around the lodge room and around the open grave, keeping time to its mournful cadence, with hearts lifted in prayer, and with eyes dimmed with tears.
Thousands of good men have been lowered into the narrow house while the brethren sang "Here Another Guest We Bring," yet the author was buried in a grave unhallowed by the brotherhood and unaccompanied by the lambskin and the sprig of evergreen, because he failed to regard the first of the cardinal virtues, temperance, so forcibly impressed upon us at the very beginning of our Masonic life—Selected.
What sub-type of article is it?
Biography
Tragedy
What themes does it cover?
Misfortune
Moral Virtue
Tragedy
What keywords are associated?
Masonic Song
Alcoholism
Expulsion
Temperance
Funeral Chimes
Story Details
Event Date
Nearly A Hundred Years Ago
Story Details
The author of the Masonic song 'Solemn Strikes the Funeral Chimes' was a lecturer expelled from the fraternity due to alcoholism, died nearly a hundred years ago, and was buried without Masonic honors, highlighting the importance of temperance.