Welcome to the Scottish Rite Journal podcast an audio presentation of the Scottish Rite Journal brought to you by the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite Southern jurisdiction mother Supreme Council of the world this week’s article is brother Irving Berlin a patriotic and holiday musical Icon by Selman caratas
Order of the Eastern Star and comes from the September October 2023 issue of the Scottish Rite Journal when you sing or hear God Bless America being sung does it bring chills up and down your spine I am sure it does yet do you know who wrote it and why let
Us step back in time for a little review of the life of the Mason behind this patriotic song brother Irving Berlin on May 11 1888 Israel Balin was born into a poor Jewish Family in the small Russian village of magiliav now located in Belarus the family had seven children
Despite his poverty Israel’s father was involved in the community he was the Canter at the Village synagogue sadly violent anti-semitic persecution forced the family to flee the country they escaped but not before Young Israel saw his family’s home burned down in 1893 the Ballin family settled in New
York City after emigrating through Ellis Island Israel was barely a teenager when his father passed away but not before his father had awakened his son’s love and talent for singing to help out the family Israel began working as a paper boy for the evening Journal out on the streets the youth soaked up
The city’s Rhythm as well as the music from the various clubs as the nascent Jazz movement entered the American Musical scene as witnessed by the titles of some of his songs the syncopated walk everything in America is ragtime and even the Ragtime violin he published his first songs in 1907 granting publishing
Rights for 33 cents Young Israel bought his first piano at age 21 a special piano to compensate for the fact that he did not really know how to play Berlin knew only one key F sharp when Berlin arrived on Broadway at age 23 he had two years of formal schooling had
Never learned to read or write music could play the piano only by ear and then only in one key the king with one key this fabulous Century Volume 2 1910-1920 Time Life books 1969 page 273 ultimately his natural talent and hard work earned him a spot performing in the
Pelham known as the birthplace of Vaudeville Berlin’s early pieces of music included his co-authoring Marie of Sunny Italy which became a popular song amongst those who patronized the Pelham when the song was published a printer error showed his name on the cover as Irving Berlin and the name stuck another of his
Songs Alexander’s Ragtime Band made him an international star and the song’s dance craze went all the way to Russia land of his birth while his successes were mounting tragedy also struck on his honeymoon in Cuba with his first wife Dorothy an outbreak of typhoid fever broke out and
She became very ill they quickly returned home where her illness worsened over the next few months she died on July 17 1912 a mere six months after their marriage in 1925 he met courted and married a debutante named Ellen McKay Ellen was a writer who had published several short stories in the
New Yorker magazine and the marriage was a happy one Berlin entered the military but did not cease composing when the United States entered World War one he felt Tin Pan Alley should contribute to the war effort this did not mean all songs had to be serious in somber as we see in the
Humorous take on Army life oh how I hate to get up in the morning which Berlin wrote as a soldier in World War one and which appeared in Broadway’s ziegfilled Follies of 1918. Berlin would again enjoy phenomenal success on Broadway in 1946 with his hit musical Annie Get Your
Gun it was during Berlin’s service and as part of the Patriotic effort in music that Berlin wrote God Bless America although he would not release the song Until years later in 1938 after which it became associated with songstress Kate Smith for many decades upon its release God Bless America was so well received
That some people thought it should replace the Star-Spangled Banner as the national anthem indeed this opinion is occasionally Advanced even today Berlin’s own view on this proposal was simple and patriotic there’s only one national anthem which can never be replaced Berlin composed 20 songs for Broadway wrote tunes for 15 Hollywood movies and
Earned eight Academy Awards many of these songs have become popular standards that have charted over and over as they are performed by various musical artists in diverse styles brother Berlin left his Mark not only on the country’s patriotic landscape but also on its holiday traditions the soundtrack songs he composed for the
Bing Crosby Fred Astaire Motion Picture Holiday Inn included tunes that have become synonymous with holidays in America Easter Parade happy holiday let’s start the new year right and of course White Christmas two berlin-based Broadway musicals of the 21st century Holiday Inn 2014 and white Christmas 2000 inspired by the two Hollywood films
Of those titles have become perennial favorites with dinner theaters and Community Theaters during the December holiday season part of the continued living Legacy of Irving Berlin brother Berlin’s Journey as a Freemason has been well documented on June 3rd 1910 he was raised a Master Mason in mun
Lodge number 190 New York City he immediately took to the fraternity going on to become a Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner within the same year in 1936 he was honored as a lifetime member of both appended bodies being a Freemason meant a lot to brother Berlin he lived out
Masonry’s core values giving generously to charity and using his status as a celebrity to raise money for Noble causes by some estimates Irving helped raise more than 100 million dollars for charity during his life additionally he was proud of his Jewish Heritage working to rid the world of religious conflict
As best he could for this he received a special honor in 1944 from the National Conference of Christians and Jews brother Berlin lived to a remarkable 101 years of age upon his death in 1989 the Broadway playhouses dimmed their Marquee lights President George H.W bush participated in a public singing of God
Bless America before describing Berlin as a legendary man whose Words and Music will help Define the history of our nation now when you hear Brother Irving Berlin’s classic God Bless America and his countless holiday Tunes you will know and the words of Veteran broadcaster Paul Harvey the rest of the story
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The Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite Southern jurisdiction mother Supreme Council of the World Mark dreisenstock 32nd degree kcch managing editor I’m your host Matt Bowers foreign
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