From Ceremony to Symphony: The Meeting Room That Became a Concert Hall

By Worshipful Brother Neil Tottman

Masonic Charitable Fund, Singapore

On the evening of 2nd April 2026, the Main meeting room in Singapore’s recently renovated Freemasons' Hall was transformed into a temporary concert hall for a performance by students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) School of Music. The event marked the first time in the building’s nearly 150-year history that the Freemasons' Hall had been used for a public concert, showcasing both young musical talent and the results of a SGD 2.5 million renovation of this historic heritage building.

The concert was organised jointly by The Masonic Charitable Fund (MCF) and Lodge Scientia No. 9993 E.C. (Lodge Scientia).

The Masonic Charitable Fund (MCF) has supported financially disadvantaged students at NAFA through bursaries since 2020. MCF was launched in Singapore in 2019 by then Assistant Grand Master Sir David Hugh Wooton. It is focused on helping students in Singapore regardless of race, creed or religion and is a registered charity governed by a Board of Trustees and co-opted members from the four Masonic constitutions present in Singapore: English, Irish, Scottish and French.The Masonic Charitable Fund (MCF) has supported financially disadvantaged students at NAFA through bursaries since 2020. MCF was launched in Singapore in 2019 by then Assistant Grand Master Sir David Hugh Wooton. It is focused on helping students in Singapore regardless of race, creed or religion and is a registered charity governed by a Board of Trustees and co-opted members from the four Masonic constitutions present in Singapore: English, Irish, Scottish and French.

Lodge Scientia was founded by the current Worshipful Master, Worshipful Brother Dr Ronald Ng, who drew inspiration from Old King’s Arms Lodge No. 28 E.C., active in the early 18th century and known for presenting scientific topics and demonstrations. In this tradition, Lodge Scientia has explored subjects including communication between trees, the direction of artificial intelligence (presented by Prof Andrew Ng, founder of Google Brain and Coursera, and son of WBro Dr Ronald Ng), and fermentation, including beer brewing.

The concert was conceived partly as a thank you to the Masonic community and as a fundraiser for MCF. The Right Worshipful District Grand Master of the District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipelago, WBro Mahathir Mahzan, who is also Patron of the MCF, attended the event. He presented a cheque for SGD 20,000 to Dr Ernest Lim, Dean of the Faculty of Performing Arts at NAFA.

Pictured left to right: District Grand Master WBro Mahathir Mahzan, Dr Ernest Lim, WBro Dr Ronald Paul Ng, WBro Michael Gray, Chair of MCF

The evening concluded with a reception at the Masonic Club in the basement of the building. The event was widely regarded as a success, with strong enthusiasm from attendees. NAFA and Lodge Scientia have since committed to making the concert an annual event for at least the next five years.