In 1748 England, the first Odd Fellows sang rowdy tavern tunes, the seeds of a musical tradition. By 1819, Thomas Wildey brought the Independent Order of Odd Fellows to America, founding Washington Lodge No. 1 in Baltimore. Here, songs became odes, lyrical poems sung to open and close meetings, honor ceremonies, and mourn the lost. “Columbia,” crafted by John H. Siffert, welcomed members, while the “Italian Hymn” by Felice de Giardini closed gatherings with solemnity. The Rebekahs, the IOOF’s women’s branch since 1851, added their own harmonies.

By 1900, with a million members, lodges rang with music, later using player pianos. (In 1975, Wheeling Lodge #9 in West Virginia embraced the future, purchasing a player piano to perform their cherished odes during meetings and degree work.) But as membership dwindled in the 20th century, odes faded. Some lodges switched to tapes or skipped singing altogether. Enter Toby Hanson and Todd Swanson, modern Odd Fellows determined to save the music. Hanson recorded odes, sharing them online, while Swanson transcribed “Columbia” and others for today’s voices, posting on the Heart in Hand blog.

In 2025, with 10,000 lodges across 26 countries, the IOOF faces a choice: let odes fade or keep them alive. For Hanson, Swanson, and others, these songs are the order’s soul, binding past to present, calling members to live out Friendship, Love, and Truth.

Thank you to Toby Hanson (WA), Past Sovereign Grand Musician for creating the updated sheet music and for recording the Odes for all to use.