The Grand Lodge of Scotland is supporting the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland (NYOS) by sponsoring the NYOS Staffa Award. The 2007 ceremony will be held in Freemasons' Hall, Edinburgh on Thursday, 24th May.

As many Freemasons will be aware, although probably few non-Masons, musicians have long been associated with Freemasonry. The likes of Gilbert and Sullivan, James Oswald, Thomas 'Fiddler Tam' Erskine, Franz Joseph Haydn and Jean Sibelius, are some examples of those who were Freemasons. The musical genius of Mozart, of course, is prominent at the moment following the celebrations held in 2006 to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth.

NYOS have issued a Press Release regarding the Staffa Award ceremony wihich gives full details of the three finalisalists, details of the award and how to purchase tickets for the ceremony. To read the Press Release (.pdf file - Adobe Acrobat Reader required) click here or on the previous links.

The NYOS Staffa Award immediately preceeds the International Conference on the History of Freemasonry - ICHF. This International Conference is itself a major event and all who attend are cordially invited to also take part in promoting the musical youth of the world (you might well be surprised where this year's finalists come from) by attending the Nyos Staffa Award.