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David Heyes (b.1960) studied double bass with Laurence Gray and Bronwen Naish, later at the Royal College of Music in London, and completed his post-graduate studies in Prague with František Pošta (Principal Bass, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra). He has given recitals and masterclasses in 20 countries over the past few years and has been a juror at a number of international competitions, three times as chairman.
David’s collaborative work gained him a prestigious award from the David Walter Charitable Trust of New York for his pioneering activities as a soloist, teacher, publisher, and commissioner of new music for double bass and he works with composers throughout the world to expand the double bass repertoire by commissioning new music and by rediscovering forgotten ones. Since 1983 more than 700 works have been written for him, music from one to twenty basses and from beginner to virtuoso, and he has premiered ten contemporary concertos with orchestra.
David began to compose in 2013 and has had music performed and recorded in 29 countries across five continents. He is a D’Addario Performing Artist and has recently commissioned a solo double bass from British master-luthier Martin Penning.
The Carousel was composed for junior double bass quartet or ensemble and only uses 1st and 4th positions, alongside G harmonic and two notes in…
The Carousel was composed for junior double bass quartet or ensemble and only uses 1st and 4th positions, alongside G harmonic and two notes in 3rd position for bass 1. Each part has been carefully written for a specific ability level offering a range of musical and technical challenges for each bassist and the work is playable by a quartet or larger forces.
The piece is based on a repeating eight-bar harmonic structure offering opportunities to play the melodic interest or accompaniment, also featuring a percussion effect for bass 2 alongside arco, pizzicato, col legno, and simple harmonics.
The Carousel is a fun and accessible work for the junior bass ensemble and its’ waltz-like feel creates the movement and momentum of a fairground carousel and, at 128 bars, is a substantial length for younger bassists.
“The youngest group performed it and they loved working on it. I was the one in charge of this group and it was a joy to learn this new piece with them. It is always so difficult to find this level of piece. It was perfect for our youngest group. Thank you for writing it!. [Mark Osborn/Oklahoma Bass Bash USA]
