The Shriner fez

On May 1, the Bektash Shriners of NH kicked off their Spring Ceremonial with a welcome reception at the Holiday Inn in Portsmouth, and òran mór was honored to play for them.

But why, you may ask, would the Shriners invite a group of Celtic musicians to play for their Spring Ceremonial?

Dick at the Highland Games

It turns out that there is a strong connection between Scottish Free Masonry and the Shriners. Our friends Dick Boyd and Sherry Thompson, members of the Bektash Shrine, were organizing the reception. But Dick and Sherry are also very active in the St. Andrews Society, so they thought the evening would be a great opportunity to introduce ‘All Things Scottish’ to those Shriners who were not familiar with the connection. They invited us to play and we were delighted to introduce the members to our favorite pieces of Scottish music.

Sherry promises some photos from the night are on their way, and we’ll post them soon.

If we get invited back, I’m going to get a plaid fez to wear.