Michael Maher Presentation
by Brian Murphy
There was a real sense of surprise, delight, pride and gratitude at the Summer Sounds concert in the Droichead Arts Centre when Michael Maher stepped up to receive his thoroughly deserved Honorary Life Membership from Mayor Sean Collins.
Michael Maher is presented with his honorary life membership of the Drogheda Brass Band by the mayor of Drogheda, Mr. Sean Collins, at the recent Summer Sounds concert.
Having already been presented with a briefcase in honour of the band's win at the championship section of the National Brass Band Championships in April 1999, Michael was not expecting what was to come later on at the concert. Brian Murphy began to take the audience back through the last forty years of the band's history and asked everyone to try and picture a young man sitting in class with lovely golden afro hair!
Michael later revealed that he actually began thinking about having to write something on his part of Riverdance and was not listening to whom Brian was speaking of. It was only - apparently - in the last sentence that Michael became aware that it was him.
Michael has served the band tirelessly over the last forty years. He has worked very hard to bring the band to where it is today when he was on the committee, and later when he became Secretary of the band, a post which he held for a very long time.
It was when the band set up their School of Music that Michael really came into his own - as a fantastic teacher. There are many members, both past and current, who owe their current musical talents directly to Michael. Michael took a step back in the early 1990's when he left the committee and helped some very inexperienced members in the bass section.
It was with delight in 1993 that Michael accepted the challenge put to him by the committee. He travelled to Dublin a number of times each week to take conductors' classes under Jimmy Kavanagh, and since then the band has known nothing but success.
Michael Maher epitomises the words dedication and commitment and it was a great reward for him at the concert to be presented with honorary life membership.
It has been a pleasure to have been on the receiving end (!!) of Michael's tuition, guidance and friendship over the last twelve years or so. And long may he continue to be a major force within the Drogheda Brass Band.