CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL
Band Directors
1872 Founder
Brother Maurelian
Brother Maurelian, founder and first 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 from the high school portion of CBC. An orchestra was also formed in the same year that numbered twenty-four players. The groups began performances immediately because thirty of the students had previous training. (b. - d. December 20, 1920)
1872-1893
Professor Paul Schneider
Professor Schneider was a professional musician who had traveled all over the country playing with theatre orchestras. He was playing in Ford's Theatre in Washington the evening Lincoln was assassinated.
Financial records of the school reveal interesting details of the economy in the latter portion of Professor Schneider's career. For the 1888-89 school year he was paid a $70.00 per month salary. Later it was raised to $85.00. His students were charged $5.00 per month for music lessons. Professor Schneider was also paid for arranging musical pieces. Some of his arrangements include "Soldiers Chorus" for orchestra, "Hail to the Chief" for band, "Tic Tac Polka," Water Lillie Gacotte," Flip-Flap Polka," and "Jolly Hunter Quickstep."
In addition to Professor Schneider, there was a Professor Herman F. Schultz (Schulse, Schultze) who taught piano. Lessons were $12.50 per three months.
1893-1915
Professor William Wallace Saxby
Herman F. Schulze - Assistant Band Director and Piano teacher
Professor William Saxby was hired in 1893. He taught violin, mandolin, and cornet. Students paid $4.00 per month for lessons, Saxby received $3.00 and $1.00 went to the school. Before his job as band director, he opened a dance academy on May 8, 1877 at Maennerchor Hall, at Jefferson and Second, where he taught new dances, including the glide waltz and the schottishe.
1915-1921
Brother Hilbert William
1921-1931
Doctor Frank Steutermann
Orchestra Director in 1930 was Brother Kiaran Daniel Bruke
1931-1940
Captain Charles Harrison
1940-1946
Brother Joseph Raphael
In 1940, the baton passed to Brother Joseph Raphael, a Christian Brother who is responsible for the organization of the band as it is today. In addition to directing the band after school, Brother Raphael was busy teaching a full schedule of academics. Brother Joseph Raphael had little musical training but the last two years he was able to attend the Vandercook College of Music. By 1946 the need for a full time director was evident; so, Brother Raphael brought Ralph Gordon Hale into the CBHS family mid year of 1946-1947.
1946-1983
Doctor Ralph G. Hale
Ralph Hale began directing the Christian Brothers High School Band in the 1946-47 school year. A native of Cleveland, Mississippi, he won top honors in national contests as a baritone horn soloist and student conductor while in high school. He studied conducting under Frank Simon at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and received further training at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Delta State College, and Memphis State University.
Mr. Hale pioneered the use of electronic instruments in marching and concert bands in this area. He is the author of "Scale Exercises," a band instruction book, the editor of a series of records that helped beginning band students prepare solos for contests; and developed a method of teaching rhythm using slides that has been adopted by over 100 school systems.
He served as clinician and adjudicator throughout the South and Southwest. He conducted music camps at Lone Star, Texas and Lamar State University and served on the staff of a music festival in Salzburg, Austria. He was also president of the Ozark Music Camp
Mr. Hale hired Mr. Mike Krepper in 1981 as an assistant director, and in 1983 Ralph Hale retired as band director.
1981-2000
Mister Gabriel Michael Krepper
Born and raised in Texas, Mike Krepper received his music training from Lamar University in Beaumont. Christian Brothers High School is where Mr. Krepper distinguished himself as a band director and music teacher. Teaching there for twenty years, he received many awards and honors including the "Who's Who in America," and the Tennessee Bandmasters Association Award of Excellence in 1993-1994. A member of Phi Beta Mu professional music fraternity, Mike is currently teaching elementary music in the Memphis City School System.
He now plays Saxophone for the Memphis Jazz Orchestra and has performed with singers, soloists, and groups including Toots Thielemans, Urbie Greene, Johnny Mathis, Kenny Rogers, The Guy Lombardo Orchestra, the Russ Morgan Orchestra, the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Krepper recommended Mr. Patrick Bolton, 1995 graduate of CBHS and former student of Mr. Krepper, for the Head Director's job at Christian Brothers High School in 2000.
During transitional period between 2000-2001 Mr. Bolton worked part time at CBHS until he graduated from the University of Memphis. Mr. Bill McKee was hired as the Band supervisor for the fall of 2000 and Mr. Alvin Abuelouf was hired as the Music History Instructor. Brother Joel taught the intermediate and beginning bands.
2000-present
Mister Patrick Joseph Bolton
Mr. Bolton Graduated with a Instrumental Music Education degree from the University of Memphis in 2001 with a concentration on clarinet performance. He graduated from CBHS in 1995 and served as the band president his senior year. He also was recipient of the the Dr. Ralph G. Hale Band Award for Excellence in Music and the Directors Award for Leadership, Musicianship, and Loyalty to the CBHS band.
Mr. Bolton has played with the University of Memphis Wind Ensemble, River City
Concert Band, The Desoto Symphony, and the
Rhodes Orchestra. He taught upper winds at the Ripley High School
Band Camp in Ripley Tennessee since 1998, and is a St. Peter's
Catholic Church Choir Member.