Last week we said goodbye to a highly respected, warmly regarded and much loved gentleman who sang in our bass line for over 10 years. Mick Travers is a big loss in the Dolce community.
Mick’s contribution over the years is difficult to quantify. He served on the committee for years, as an ordinary member, as vice-chair and as chairperson, and his contribution was invaluable. His wisdom, his considered opinions, and his lovely warm manner in dealing with people left an indelible mark on the committee proceedings.There were those who disagreed with him, but it didn’t take long to come around to his opinion when he explained the reasons behind his logical and positive thinking. Even when he knew the cancer wasn’t good, he signed his emails “yours in positivity”.
It’s the unseen ways in which Mick worked that leave the biggest positive mark on Dolce. He listened to each person, really listened, and took his time to give his response – and it was well worth waiting for. He created an atmosphere of positivity within the bassline that will live on.
He arrived along one evening in May 2017 while we were holding our AGM. As soon as he was seen everyone stood and applauded him spontaneously – such was the regard for his presence. He left as we spoke of our plans for the following year, wishing us luck, clearly emotional knowing he wouldn’t be there to enjoy i with us. We wondered if we would see him again.
Of course we would – he had no intention of missing it all! He arrived along to 3 evening rehearsals in November 2017 in Raheny Church and in Dominican College. He joined in singing and chatting to everyone, as he joked that because of the steroids he’d have to sing tenor! Although he couldn’t be with us on the night of the concert, he was with us in spirit, and in the reflection he wrote from a hospital bed on Patrick Kavanagh’s A Christmas Childhood.
From then until he passed away on the 17th January 2018 he listened to sound files and CDs of Dolce singing, taking pleasure from all we have to offer, in payment for all that he had given us in the 10 years that he was with us. We gave him the best send off we could as we sang at his funeral – tears flowing as we watched him take his final leave of us.
Our thoughts are with Anna, and Mick’s family as they face the loss of a wonderful man.
Go raibh maith agat, Mick, thug tú seoid dúinn le do phearsantacht, do dhearfacht agus do ghrá dúinn ar fad. Mairfidh tú go deo inár smaointe, inár gcuimhní agus inár gcuid ceoil.
