Music For Youth Programme

Annual Concert Sunday June 2nd, 2024

Another epic event! If you missed-out, join us next year!

2024 Concert Brass Players

The 2023 Concert! Please click-on the picture for the full-size image

Admission is always free, however, donations to the programme are greatly appreciated!

History of the Programme

The benefits of school music programmes have long been recognized as being important to development in youth, both socially and academically. With burgeoning enrollments and limited resources, some students who otherwise have a keen interest in music education may be unable to access that training if an instrument is not available; the opportunity for the student and the music community could be lost forever!!

In 2007, members of Victoria-Columbia Lodge No.1 started a musical instrument refurbishment and donation programme as a joint project with the Greater Victoria School District. Central Middle School was chosen as the first recipient. After donations by both Lodge members and others, each instrument is lovingly and professionally refurbished, proudly engraved with the freemason's square & compasses logo, then presented to the school as a gift to their music department.

	From 2007 to 2018 the programme supplied approximately 45 instruments to Central Middle School, with an estimated value of $35,000! Central's music department became so successful & self-sufficient that they no longer needed more instrument donations. From 2019 to 2023, Shoreline Community Middle School was selected as the next school to support; from 2024 onwards, Victoria-Columbia No.1 is focussed on helping Lambrick Park High School in Gordon Head further build their impressive music department! Victoria-Columbia No.1 has been proud of its heritage and community support since being founded in 1859 as the first Freemason's Lodge in British Columbia. As a chartered Lodge under the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon, Victoria-Columbia No.1 is part of a network of over 5000 Freemasons in 129 Lodges from 78 communities which fund and support community projects across the jurisdiction. Birdseye view of the 2023 concert Please click on the picture for a larger view

From 2007 to 2018 the programme supplied approximately 45 instruments to Central Middle School, with an estimated value of $35,000! Central's music department became so successful & self-sufficient that they no longer needed more instrument donations.

From 2019 to 2023, Shoreline Community Middle School was selected as the next school to support; from 2024 onwards, Victoria-Columbia No.1 is focussed on helping Lambrick Park High School in Gordon Head further build their impressive music department!

Victoria-Columbia No.1 has been proud of its heritage and community support since being founded in 1859 as the first Freemason's Lodge in British Columbia. As a chartered Lodge under the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon, Victoria-Columbia No.1 is part of a network of over 5000 Freemasons in 129 Lodges from 78 communities which fund and support community projects across the jurisdiction.

Birdseye view of the 2023 concert

Please click on the picture for a larger view

By positively influencing the lives of such talented & enthusiastic young musicians, the members of Victoria-Columbia Lodge No.1 are establishing our Lodge in a leadership role for future generations

Annual Concert

WM Vance Smith with the 2023 donations

Shoreline's Concert Band entertained a packed audience during the annual Concert at the Fisgard St. Freemasons' Hall. The April 16th, 2023 performance was marked by eleven-years of staging impressive shows at our downtown Victoria venue. The instruments donated in 2023 included:

2 trumpets
1 flute
1 guitar
1 trombone

Everyone is already looking forward to the 2024 concert!

The Sweet Sounds of a Saxophone!

Donating to the Programme:

Charitable tax receipts issued by the Greater Victoria School District are now available for donations of either instruments or cash to the Music for Youth Programme. Full-receipts will be issued for cash, or the actual purchase price for new donated instruments (purchase invoice required). Receipts for used instruments will be on fair-market independent appraised value.

To request further information about the Victoria-Columbia Lodge No.1's Music For Youth Programme, or to arrange for an instrument or cash donation, please contact the coordinator by clicking the link below:

The Musicians are a Treat to Watch

Everyone Is Welcome to Enjoy These Concerts!!

Why Music Education?

From a March 2024 Times Colonist article: "A study published in 2019 in the Journal of Educational Psychology reported that high school students involved with instrumental or choral music achieved better grades across a variety of subjects in comparison with their non-musical peers".

Read the entire Times Colonist article HERE

And a quote from a fellow Freemason:

"The Arts and Sciences, essential to the prosperity of the State and to the ornament of human life, have a primary claim to the encouragement of every lover of his country and mankind."

-George Washington, 1st President of the United States of America, (1789 – 1797) and Freemason since 1752