Musician and family man a ‘treasure’
Maurice Rowland Abrahams: May 5, 1919–October 8, 2018.
If anyone’s counting, Maurice Abrahams must just about hold the record for the number of times he’s been called a treasure. Those at a celebration of his life at All Saints Church in Nelson following his recent death at age 99 reiterated this as they spoke of a gracious, kind gentleman and his lifelong loves of music, family and community.
Born on May 5, 1919 to Henry and Blanche Abrahams in Nelson, Maurice Rowland Abrahams was the third of six children. He spent most of his life in central Nelson.
Henry’s job as an engine driver with New Zealand Railways took the family to Otira in 1923, where they lived for three years. Maurice started school there, aged four, walking the several kilometres lined with flowering wild currants to the transit camp school near the newly opened tunnel. More than 90 years on, a flowering currant flourished outside his Nelson front door, the scent of a crushed leaf still transporting him back to those times.
The family returned to a house in Vanguard St, near Victory School, where Henry eventually became caretaker. Maurice and his big brother Leo delivered milk around the area from billies hung over their bicycle handlebars, after milking the cows.
Music was intrinsic to Maurice’s life. Henry played several instruments, and Blanche, an accomplished pianist, once played accompaniment for silent movies in Otira. Maurice’s sister Olga Higgs recalls family practices on Sunday afternoons in Vanguard St, where neighbours lined up outside in their chairs to enjoy the music through open windows.
Henry, Maurice and Leo, who became a champion trombone player, played in the Nelson Garrison Band, now Nelson City Brass, as in turn would Maurice’s children.
Maurice was at Hampden Street School when he performed his first cornet solo at a concert, and at Nelson College when he attended his first band contest in Dunedin in 1933, aged 13, performing with the 1 Nelson Marlborough & West Coast Regimental Band as a territorial.
His final national band contest was at Napier in 2016, when Nelson City Brass won the C grade championship. He was the longestserving member of the band.
Maurice worked as a mechanic before becoming a compositor for printer R W Stiles and Co. By his late teens, he was playing in dance bands. Around this time he met Molly Kingsland, who also loved music and singing. They became engaged before Maurice embarked for service with the 26th Battalion, NZEF in mid-1940.
He served in Egypt and Greece, playing his saxophone whenever he could. When New Zealand troops were evacuated from Greece, the saxophone had to be abandoned on the beach. Luckily, an officer recognised the case as ‘‘AB’s’’ and rescued it. Maurice then served in North Africa with the NZ Ordnance Field Park/6th Brigade Band.
When he came home on furlough in 1943, his sister Dawn Neal recalls that her ‘‘fun-loving, beautiful brother’’ returned a ‘‘sad and serious man’’.
Following his convalescence at Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer Springs, Maurice and Molly married in August 1943. Maurice was heading back to ship out again when news came of Molly’s pregnancy with their oldest son Bruce, and he was excused from further duty.
Maurice worked for Nelson City Council, first as a meter reader, then as a pay clerk. He and Molly had three more children: Amuri, Ian and Kerry, all talented musicians. Kerry used to play organ with Maurice on sax at church services, and he played the organ at his father’s funeral, while Bruce was in the Junior National Band.
Molly owned several hair salons in Nelson in the 1960s, with Maurice her ‘‘anchor’’ behind the scenes. They also shared a strong Christian faith.
As well as brass and dance bands, Maurice performed with Bruce Hamilton and Marshall Walters as the Sou’Westers to groups and clubs around the region. He’d sometimes play three or four events in a day.
He also performed for royalty several times, starting with the Duke and Duchess of York’s visit to New Zealand in 1927. The duke would become King George VI.
Molly and Maurice’s second son, Ian, died of leukaemia aged 15, in 1964. Bruce died of cancer in 2014, soon after Maurice’s 95th birthday. Bruce’s role of attending the Anzac Day parade with Maurice was continued by Bruce’s son Dion and grandson Harry.
Following retirement, Maurice and Molly enjoyed travelling in the North Island and Britain. When Molly developed Alzheimer’s disease, Maurice cared for her at home until shortly before her death in 1999.
Maurice later met Sue, and the two enjoyed many adventures and their shared love of gardening and walking. With Sue, Maurice continued his many community activities, including fundraising for Alzheimers NZ, the Heart Foundation and Arthritis NZ. They supervised swimming sessions for the latter at Ngawhatu Pool.
Maurice was a Freemason and member of the Victory Whakatu Lodge No 40 for 75 years. He was the lodge’s long-time trumpet and saxophone player.
He conducted the Nelson Garrison Band from 1956-1964, and established a junior band. He was always a champion for women’s rights.
He was awarded the Nelson City Council Civic Award for Service to the Community in 1999.
Maurice had spoken little of his war experiences, but that changed following a trip to the El Alamein 70th anniversary commemoration in October 2012. On his return, he was in demand as a speaker.
In early 2017, congestive heart failure saw Maurice move into Whareama Rest Home, where he’d already entertained residents for 40-odd years. Earlier this year he was at Opera in the Park at Saxton Field, had played with the band at Isel Gardens, and was at the National Brass Band championships in Blenheim.
In May 2017, Maurice featured on TVNZ1’s Good Sorts programme, where his beloved Nelson City Brass surprised him by performing a favourite piece they’d learned especially: Poem, by Zdenko Fibich.
They played it again at his funeral, his saxophone and music stand nearby, with Maurice’s cap on an empty chair.
Maurice Abrahams . . . performed for royalty several times.
Maurice was predeceased by wife Molly (1999) and sons Ian (1964) and Bruce (2014). He is survived by partner Sue, sisters Olga Higgs and Dawn Neal and brother Clifford, daughter Amuri Bartlett and son Kerry and their families, eight grandchildren and 12 greatgrandchildren.
Thanks to Sue, Peter Goodman QSM, Maurice’s family, friends and others.