In a Fiji Times report on May 1, 1996, students and teachers of Gospel High School concluded their term with a gospel concert that brought a piece of Fiji’s history to life.
A 10-member cast enacted an event from Fiji’s post-European contact era, depicting how a village chief abolished the ancient ritual of sacrificing female virgins to the gods of war after a victorious battle.
These rituals, common when missionaries first arrived, were performed to thank the gods for success in war and to seek blessings for future conflicts.
The drama opened with the scene of the sacrifices. A village caller announced the ritual, demanding silence and attention from the villagers.
Two wives of Christian missionaries, present in the village with their husbands spreading the gospel, then stepped into the temple where the sacrifices were occurring.
At that moment, two virgins had already been strangled, with three more awaiting the same fate.
Describing the practice as “evil,” the women preached from the Bible, condemning the act.
Convinced by their words, the chief declared the custom abolished in the village.
Gospel High School principal Arthur Craine said the drama reflected the arrival of Christianity in Fiji and aligned with the concert’s overarching theme, ‘Gospel Sounds the Trumpet’.
He expressed his satisfaction with the students’ performances and gratitude to the teachers for organising the event.
“Considering the success of the concert, the school might put on another concert the year after, a bigger or even better one,” Mr Craine said.
The proceeds from the concert were designated for the school’s student council.
