Brother Macarius’ Band

School of Marist Brothers, Apia Samoa, 1892

• • BACK: 1. Antonio Tupuola, Amaile, | 2. Unknown (Aleipata), | 3. G. Ried, | (Tutuila), | 4. J. Ryan
  • MIDDLE: Cymbol: L. Stowers, | Big Drum: Lafaele Pereira, | Br. Macarius, | Fred Hahnt, | Patolo Hall, | Solia Kelemete, | 4. Fred Netzler, | 5, H. Hunkin, | CH. Stowers, | Drum: Nim Yandall
  • SITTING: W. Stowers, | 2. Amando Stowers, | 3. R. Conradt, | 4. Rob Johson, | 5. O. F. Nelson, | 6. Jimmy Meredith, | 7. A. Willis (Tutuila)

ln 1892 Br Macarius, a gifted musician had arrived in Apia. In order to draw more children to the school and to assure the Brothers a better income, two brass bands were established, one for the school children and another for the young men of Apia. They proved to be very popular both in Apia and further afield.

However, when they began travelling around Upolu and Savaii giving concerts, a halt was called to these tours by the major superiors. Eventually the band instruments were to be sold to an orphanage the Brothers were running at Stoke, New Zealand. After just six years in Samoa, Br Macarius was transferred to Fiji where again his bands became very popular. He was to labour there for the next thirty five years before his death in Suva in 1933.

Source: 1988 Marist Centennial Magazine

First Marist Brothers’ Schools in the Pacific