CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL BAND
DETAILED HISTORY

1872-1873

one of the first bands with Professor Paul Schnieder (front left) and Br. Maurelian (back left)

        Brother Maurelian, founder and president of the school known as "Christian Brothers College," formed the band in the school year of 1872-73 for the purpose of taking part in parades, festivals, and school entertainment.  The band numbered twenty-one players and  an orchestra was also formed in the same year that had number twenty-four players.   They began performances immediately because thirty of the music students had previous training and about thirty students received music lessons.  The director of these groups was Professor Paul Schneider, a professional musician who had traveled all over the United States playing trumpet in theatre orchestras.  Schneider was in the orchestra pit at Ford's Theatre in Washington the evening that President Lincoln was assassinated.  Along with trumpet, Schneider must have been an accomplished violin performer as he is pictured with a violin in most pictures.  In addition to Professor Schneider, there was a Professor Schulse who tought piano.  Lessons were $12.50 per three months.  A piano book cost $2.50 and sheet music was .35 cents and .50 cents.  It cost $2.00 to tune the piano.

Professor Paul Schneider
first director of the Christian Brothers Band

        The Memphis Daily Appeal recounts the band's first civic involvement. The story covers the St. Patrick's Day Parade of March 17, 1873.  There were two bands in the parade, the Hibernian Brass Band and the Christian Brothers Band:   "There were no less than 1000 men in line, in carriages, and on foot, and on the word "forward" being given, the Hibernian Brass Band struck up the popular Irish air "Pat Malloy," while the Christian Brothers' Band made the air resound with "The Wearing of the Green" and the procession moved down Main Street..."

        The second public appearance of the band during their first year was at a school sponsored bazaar to raise money at the Old Exposition Building on May 15 and 18, 1873.  The band led the opening parade and music for the ball that night was furnished by the band and the string orchestra.  In the May 26th, 1873 issue of the Memphis Avalanche the results of this financial venture were given as follows:    "Admission was 50 cents, so according to the door receipts, 1588 people attended the affair...a sizeable number for these days."  The proceeds of the bazaar were reported in the local papers:

       On May 23 of the same year, reviews are found in The Memphis Avalanche concerning the Grand Union Picnic of the Catholic Sunday Schools of Memphis.  Bands listed for this parade were the Sodality Junior Band, the Christian Brothers Band and the Hibernian Cornet Band.  The paper had this to say: "The Christian Brothers' Band one of the best amateur organizations in the state, headed the group of 500 children from St. Patrick's playing selections from numerous marches as they paraded the streets."
                                                                           
      Music was available in the curriculum in the early days of Christian Brothers Memphis.  The Memphis Avalanche coverage serves to verify:    "Closing exercises for the school were held on June 28, 1873. The first public examination of the College, which came off at the College and the Memphis Theater last week, was a new feature in school exhibitions, being searchingly exercised in  Trigonometry, Plane and Spherical geometry; Virgil; Livy; Cicero; Ceasar; Homer; Zenophon,  Algebra; Rhetoric; Grammar; Analytical Geometry; Bookkeeping; Arithmetic; and Music.  A number of essays were read and declamations given."  "The College brass band was cheered for its efforts, and encomiums were lavished on the pleasant strains of melody performed by the string band, all the members of both being pupils, and some were small ones at that.  The string band numbered eighteen pieces, and performed capitally, for young folks."  At the end of the year a gold medal was given to the top music student.  To qualify, a student "must play perfect lessons for the professor and practice one and one half hours each day." (College Catalogue)  Brother Maurelian wrote in his notebook that "the study of music had been encouraged,  the music classes  rapidly increased and many became expert on string and brass instruments."

   
one of the first orchestras with Br. Leander Patrick (back left), Br. Maurelian (back center), and Prof. Paul Schneider (right)
shot in front of 612 Adams

Listen to "The Wearing of the Green"
Performed by the 2003 Alumni Band

Return to 1872-1893