A music club for freemasons Philo-musicae et -architecturae societas Apollini, London, 1725-1727 PINK, Andrew

RESUMEN: On 1 February 1725, Francesco Geminiani became a freemason in London, and soon afterwards was involved in the setting up and running of a masonic lodge whose members shared a love for the performance or Otalian instrumental music. The lodge´s minute book survives in the British Library, but hitherto has received little attention from music historians. Although the lodge was short-lived- its record end in 1727- the minute book allows us a fascinating glimpse into the world of middle-class men´s amateur music-making in early 18th-century London, their taste for the new, and their cultural aspirations. Keywords: concerto;18th-century freemason: Francesco Geminiani; London; masculinity; musicians, masonic