Celebrations Book 3 brings together sixteen exciting, evocative and inventive works for unaccompanied double bass by David Heyes. Composed between 2016 and 2022, each piece was composed for a specific bassist, commemoration or anniversary, and all are aimed at the intermediate bassist. David Heyes exploits and explores a wealth of colours and timbres in each piece, always within a lyrical framework, creating music that offers musical and technical challenges in equal measure. His music has been played by bassists of all ages and abilities with performances in 27 countries and across five continents to date. “Today’s double bassists are indebted to composers who wrote for this forefather of the double bass. Double bassists of today are indebted to David Heyes for his extensive publishing work, his compositions, and his commissioning of works for the double bass.”
[David B. Teague]

“Double bassist and composer, David Heyes (UK) is keeping the tradition alive, teaching a new generation and composing works that build upon a diverse, Repertoire for our beloved instrument…” [Stafford James, American bassist, composer, educator]

1) Hymnus: In Memoriam Lev Rakov was completed on 13 January 2020 and was composed for a memorial concert in memory of my friend Lev Rakov at Moscow Conservatoire on 14 February 2020, which would have been his 94th birthday. It is based on A and E, two letters from Lev’s name, and is free flowing and rhapsodic throughout. Written without bar lines, the piece is lyrical and sonorous, exploiting a rich register of the solo double bass. Much of the music was written to be played on the G string, with a recurring open A drone, played arco or pizzicato. It ebbs and flows naturally, with a passionate and searing phrase played in the higher solo register, before the opening theme returns but gradually losing impetus and energy and ending slowly and simply with a lonely sustained A which gradually fades into silence.
PREMIERE: Saturday 8 February 2020 by David Heyes at Wells & Mendip Museum (Wells, Somerset).
RUSSIAN PREMIERE: Saturday 15 February 2020 by Jan Krigovsky at Conservatoire of Music, Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

2) This We Know was composed on 6/7 June 2018, written to celebrate the 85th birthday of the legendary American contemporary bassist Bert Turetzky, and is based on the letters B, A and E from Bert’s name and C from Nancy, Bert’s wife. It flows along smoothly and simply with the musical line dictating the dynamic range and direction. A more dramatic middle section, employing double stops (4ths/5ths) interrupts the melodic line before the piece relaxes back into the music of the opening section. PREMIERE: Saturday 9 June 2018 by David Heyes at the Church of St Laurence, East Harptree (Somerset).
US PREMIERE: Wednesday 11 July 2018 at Texas Tech University (Lubbock, Texas) by Bill Zauner.
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE: Sunday 26 August 2018 at Melbourne Girls’ Grammar School (Melbourne) by Emma Sullivan.
“The faculty and students absolutely loved it.” [Bill Zauner]
“Powerful and really challenging…” [Bert Turetzky]
The title is taken from the words of Chief Seattle:

This we know
The earth does not belong to man;
Man belongs to the earth.
This we know.
All things are connected,
Like the blood which unites one family
All things are connected.
Whatever befalls the earth,
Befalls the sons of the earth.
Man did not weave the web of life;
He is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web,
He does to himself.
Chief Seattle (c.1780-1866), more correctly known as Seathl, was a Susquamish chief who lived on the islands of the Puget Sound. As a young warrior, Chief Seattle was known for his courage, daring and leadership. He gained control of six of the local tribes and continued the friendly relations with the local whites that had been established by his father. His now famous speech was believed to have been given in December 1854. The city of Seattle is named after the Chief.

3) Solitude
I have long been a fan of the French contemporary bassist Joëlle Léandre and first heard her play in 1982 at the Isle of Man Competition & Festival. Yesterday, (4 May 2021) I had some free time and wrote this short piece as a gift for her. The ideas had been going through my mind all morning and at lunchtime I was able to start work on the piece. At the time it had no title but as I worked on it last night the title came and Solitude seemed ideal for a piece which is relatively spare and bleak. Lasting a little more than a minute, it includes a number of contemporary techniques but is hopefully accessible and still within a lyrical framework.

4) Mr Field – His Humour
I first met Chris Field when he was the Adjudicator at a Music Festival in Aldershot. I knew he was a double bassist and we talked about his compositions, not only for the bass, and over the past few years we are pleased to have published a number of his original works and transcriptions. Mr Field – His Humour was composed in November 2019, as an early 80th birthday present for the following year, and is a lively and rhythmic one-page piece, remaining primarily in bass clef. The crisp rhythms and strong momentum reflect a musician who remains constantly active as a conductor and adjudicator with no intention of slowing down or retiring.

5) The Joy of Understanding (dedicated to Gabriele Ragghianti)

1. La belle ferronnière is a portrait of a lady, usually attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, in the Louvre Abu Dhabi.The painting’s title, applied as early as the seventeenth century, identifying the sitter as the wife or daughter of an ironmonger (a ferronnier), was said to be discreetly alluding to a reputed mistress of Francis I of France, married to a certain Le Ferron. ‘La belle ferronnière’ depicts a beautiful young woman with a confident and direct stare into the distance. She appears assured and determined and the music has a bold and confident narrative, exploiting the cantabile and lyrical range of the double bass. The piece contrasts slow and confident themes with music of a more dramatic and energetic nature, hoping to capture the hidden thoughts and feelings of this beautiful and intriguing young woman.
PREMIERE: Thursday 2 May 2019 at Silk Mill West (Frome, Somerset) by Dritan Gani

2. La Gioconda (Mona Lisa) has been described as “the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world”. The painting is a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, and is believed to have been painted between 1503 and 1506, although Leonardo may have continued working on it as late as 1517. It was acquired by King Francis I of France and has been on permanent display at the Louvre Museum in Paris since 1797. La Gioconda is played entirely in harmonics and the opening and recurring four note motif represents her smile, described as enigmatic but also alluring and aloof. The music is simple and straightforward, evocative and atmospheric, exploring the flute-like sounds of the harmonics in a lyrical and sonorous idiom, with a gentle ebb and flow.
PREMIERE: Thursday 2 May 2019 at Silk Mill West (Frome, Somerset) by David Heyes

3. The Last Supper is a late 15th-century mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci housed by the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan (Italy). It is one of the world’s most recognizable paintings. The work is presumed to have been started around 1495–96 and was commissioned as part of a plan of renovations to the church and its convent buildings by Leonardo’s patron Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. The Last Supper is slow and solemn, almost exclusively in the key of E minor, and utilises much of the higher register of the double bass. The opening four note motif is the basis for much of the melodic material and the piece exploits the lyrical and sonorous qualities of the double bass. The tempo remains constant until the last few notes with the glorious cantabile sound of the solo double bass influencing the mood and style of the piece.
PREMIERE: Sunday 5 May 20129 at Village Hall (Templecombe, Somerset) by Alexander Heather

6) Syrinx
Syrinx is dedicated to Glen Rodriguez who has premiered and played a number of my works in Venezuela and was composed in 2018 for the ‘Syrinx Project’. It lasts around three minutes, and features the lyrical and sonorous possibilities of the double bass, primarily in its orchestral register. The first few bars of Debussy’s masterpiece for flute have influenced the musical narrative, particularly its rhythmic and chromatic opening motif. Sul ponticello is introduced to contrast the colours and timbres, and the middle section features music of a more dramatic nature which graually decreases in momentum and drive as it moves into a higher register. The piece ends slowly and atmospherically repeating the chromatic motif as the music recedes into the far distance.
PREMIERE: Saturday 17 February 2018 at Wolvercote Hall (Oxford, UK) by David Heyes
IRISH PREMIERE: Saturday 24 February 2018 at Triskel Arts Centre (Cork City, Republic of Ireland) by David Whitla

7) Self-Portrait I
This short piece is based on four letters from my name – D-A-E-S (E flat) and the melodic line was influenced by the first few notes. Writing a ‘self-portrait’ is quite a challenge, deciding what to include, what to leave out, and how much to show to the world? I like my own company but I also enjoy relaxing and spending time with my family and friends. I love performing as a soloist but also enjoy working with other musicians. I can be outgoing and funny, impulsive and madly enthusiastic, but also introspective and quiet. I am probably as complicated as the next musician and ‘Self-Portrait I’ hopefully reflects some of my personality – or as much as I want you to see. I plan to write a Self-Portrait at the end of every year and I wonder if this piece reflects 2020 or is just something I have enjoyed writing? Who knows and who cares? I hope you like the piece but if not there will be another one next year!

8) Self-Portrait II
Self-Portrait II was completed on 14 February 2022, remains in bass clef throughout, and is based on the letters from my name (D-A-H/B-E-S/Es/E flat). A year ago in Self-Portrait I the notes favoured G minor but this year E flat was changed to D sharp and E minor was the result. Written on one page and lasting less than 2 minutes, I had more to say this year than last but I think the changes in style match my moods and feelings. I often flit from one project to another, eventually returning to finish what I had started, but I enjoy the variety of change and this piece, which is complete in itself, will be part of an ongoing series of works, with a new piece written at the start of each year. I wonder what I will say next year?

9) On the Wings of an Angel
‘May you travel through life on the wings of an angel’ was the inspiration for this short piece, which I completed on 19 February 2020. Tony Osborne was a great friend for almost 30 years and is very much missed. He was an astounding composer, although he didn’t know how good he was, and it was an absolute privilege to be his friend and publisher for most of my adult life. Ideas for the piece came in the early hours of one morning, initially in the key of A major, but gradually changed to A minor and with a sharpened 7th. My aim was to create a short piece which didn’t outstay its welcome and was an amalgam of a lyrical song and a lament for my friend. The opening three notes act as a unifying motif throughout and it employs a four octave range, albeit primarily in the lower two octaves of the instrument. There should always be a strong narrative and feeling of line, emphasising the lyrical and sonorous qualities of the double bass, rising in intensity to the highest register, and ending with a pizzicato episode before slowly dying away into silence.
PREMIERE: Friday 21 February 2020 at Conservatoire of Music (Mechelen, Belgium) by David Heyes

10) We are such stuff As dreams are made on
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp’d tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

[The Tempest Act 4, scene 1, 148–158]
Composed on 26/27 May 2016, this one-minute piece employs a range of colours and textures to create the magical and mystical world of Prospero and his mythical island from William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The music has a gentle simplicity, beginning and ending with open fifths, played pizzicato, contrasting lyrical arco melodies which explore the sonorous lower register of the instrument. The addition of pizzicato, col legno and a repetitive high D harmonic, display many of the possibilities of the solo double bass but always within a lyrical and melodic framework.
PREMIERE: Tuesday 21 June 2016 at The Volstead, Austin (Texas, USA) by P Kellach Waddle
UK PREMIERE: Wednesday 22 June 2016 at Bristol BASS CLUB (Stanton Rd, Bristol) by David Heyes
MEXICAN PREMIERE: Friday 15 July 2016 in Mexico City, Mexico by Marco Antonio Quiñones Martinez

11) Songlines
“…the labyrinth of invisible pathways which meander all over Australia are known to Europeans as ‘Dreaming-tracks’ or ‘Songlines’; to the Aboriginals as the ‘Footprints of the Ancestors’ of the ‘Way of the Law’. Aboriginal Creation myths tell of the legendary totemic beings who wandered over the continent in the Dreamtime, singing out the name of everything that crossed their path – birds, animals, plants, rocks, waterholes – and so singing the world into existence.” [Bruce Chatwin: The Songlines (1987)]. Although this was composed as a celebration for the 80th birthdays of my friends Teppo Hauta-aho and Frank Proto, it doesn’t have a celebratory feel and developed into a piece which seemed to be both timeless and lyrical. I have long been fascinated by the Dreamtime and Songlines of the native Australians and the idea of creating a piece which combined mystery alongside the song-like qualities of the solo double bass appealed. Each phrase is a new songline or pathway with musical ideas which are simple and slow, as if following an unwritten map but always with a specific destination in mind.
PREMIERE: Friday 5 June 2020 at Online Recital at Berklee College of Music (Boston, USA) by Susan Hagen

12) Hold On – a Prayer-Song for Bridget
Hold On… was composed at the end of June 2017 and first performed by the composer at St Mary’s Church (Dartington, Devon) on Thursday 30 June 2017. It was commissioned by Matthew Green, a former student of David Heyes at Wells Cathedral School, and was composed in memory of his mother Bridget Green (1959 – 2016). The piece was inspired by the words and spirit of the Pueblo Indian Prayer and also using the letters BDGE from Bridget’s name to influence the musical lines and narrative.
The music is slow and lyrical, poignant and sonorous, employing the entire range of the double bass utilising a number of simple and evocative colours and effects to create a short and heartfelt memorial to a special lady who loved life, her family and all styles of music. The phrases are short and episodic, always lyrical, creating a mini tone-poem of gentle colours and textures. A sudden and dramatic phrase interrupts the quiet mood but quickly ebbs away to a slow and bell-like ending with ringing pizzicato notes creating an ethereal and simple four-part chord of GD-BG.

Hold on to what is good,
Even if it’s a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it’s a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it’s a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
Even if it’s easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand,
Even if someday I’ll be gone away from you.
[A Pueblo Indian Prayer]

13) A Gigue for Bernard Salles
My 65th birthday present to Bernard Salles is based on letters from his name (B-E-A-D-E flat) and turned into a lively and enthusiastic gigue. For the last few months I have been teaching and studying a number of gigues by Bach, Fryba and Luis Guillermo Pérez and the style, energy and dance-feel of these seem to have become embedded somewhere in my brain. The piece only lasts around 1’20 and should be stylish and elegant rather than too fast or virtuosic.
PREMIERE: Sunday 1 September 2019 at Victoria Hall (Ash, Surrey) by David Heyes

14) A Postcard for Teppo
Composed in May 2021, to celebrate the 80th birthday of the legendary Finnish bassist-composer Teppo Hauta-aho, A Postcard for Teppo is lyrical and expansive, emphasising the sonorous and singing qualities of the double bass, with contrasting moods to create contrast and interest. It was recorded at Edinburgh Castle in 1921 by Nikita Naumov, Principal Bass of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, as a musical postcard for the orchestra’s website.

15) Incantations
‘Incantations’ is dedicated to Thea Sayer and was completed on 29 September 2017. The handwritten score was mislaid, until 10 January 2018 and, apart from a few small changes, it remains as it was first conceived. My aim was to create a disparate patchwork of motifs and phrases, akin to spells and incantations, emphasising the sonorous and evocative qualities of the double bass. The music is generally slow and atmospheric, with no virtuosic flourishes at all, but I hope is magical and effective. It should have a stillness and serenity with sinister motifs and short episodes which influence the mood and contrast music of a gentler nature.
PREMIERE: Tuesday 4 May 2021 at Royal Academy of Music (London) by Thea Sayer

16) Portrait for a Friend
In December 2020, when I asked my great friend Teppo Hauta-aho to be part of the Self-Portrait project, he was interested but a little unsure and joked that it would be better if I wrote his piece for him. Although this was just a flippant remark I decided to take up the challenge and on Christmas Eve 2020 wrote ‘Portrait for a Friend’ which is influenced heavily by Teppo’s compositional style and music. Played pizzicato throughout, the piece includes many favourite Teppo chords, which was my starting point for the piece, alongside my own episodic and fragmented style, but it seemed to be quite a good likeness of my best friend. I am certain Teppo’s own self-portrait would be a totally different piece but he seemed to like what I had written and it does reflect our long friendship and was written with much love and respect. Maybe my next project will be to ask composers to write a musical portrait of another composer…now there’s an idea.

[Programme Notes by David Heyes]

Celebrations Book 3 brings together sixteen exciting, evocative and inventive works for unaccompanied double bass by David Heyes. Composed between 2016 and 2022, each piece was composed for a specific bassist, commemoration or anniversary, and all are aimed at the intermediate bassist. David Heyes exploits and explores a wealth of colours and timbres in each piece, always within a lyrical framework, creating music that offers musical and technical challenges in equal measure. His music has been played by bassists of all ages and abilities with performances in 27 countries and across five continents to date. “Today’s double bassists are indebted to composers who wrote for this forefather of the double bass. Double bassists of today are indebted to David Heyes for his extensive publishing work, his compositions, and his commissioning of works for the double bass.”
[David B. Teague]

“Double bassist and composer, David Heyes (UK) is keeping the tradition alive, teaching a new generation and composing works that build upon a diverse, Repertoire for our beloved instrument…” [Stafford James, American bassist, composer, educator]

1) Hymnus: In Memoriam Lev Rakov was completed on 13 January 2020 and was composed for a memorial concert in memory of my friend Lev Rakov at Moscow Conservatoire on 14 February 2020, which would have been his 94th birthday. It is based on A and E, two letters from Lev’s name, and is free flowing and rhapsodic throughout. Written without bar lines, the piece is lyrical and sonorous, exploiting a rich register of the solo double bass. Much of the music was written to be played on the G string, with a recurring open A drone, played arco or pizzicato. It ebbs and flows naturally, with a passionate and searing phrase played in the higher solo register, before the opening theme returns but gradually losing impetus and energy and ending slowly and simply with a lonely sustained A which gradually fades into silence.
PREMIERE: Saturday 8 February 2020 by David Heyes at Wells & Mendip Museum (Wells, Somerset).
RUSSIAN PREMIERE: Saturday 15 February 2020 by Jan Krigovsky at Conservatoire of Music, Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

2) This We Know was composed on 6/7 June 2018, written to celebrate the 85th birthday of the legendary American contemporary bassist Bert Turetzky, and is based on the letters B, A and E from Bert’s name and C from Nancy, Bert’s wife. It flows along smoothly and simply with the musical line dictating the dynamic range and direction. A more dramatic middle section, employing double stops (4ths/5ths) interrupts the melodic line before the piece relaxes back into the music of the opening section. PREMIERE: Saturday 9 June 2018 by David Heyes at the Church of St Laurence, East Harptree (Somerset).
US PREMIERE: Wednesday 11 July 2018 at Texas Tech University (Lubbock, Texas) by Bill Zauner.
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE: Sunday 26 August 2018 at Melbourne Girls’ Grammar School (Melbourne) by Emma Sullivan.
“The faculty and students absolutely loved it.” [Bill Zauner]
“Powerful and really challenging…” [Bert Turetzky]
The title is taken from the words of Chief Seattle:

This we know
The earth does not belong to man;
Man belongs to the earth.
This we know.
All things are connected,
Like the blood which unites one family
All things are connected.
Whatever befalls the earth,
Befalls the sons of the earth.
Man did not weave the web of life;
He is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web,
He does to himself.
Chief Seattle (c.1780-1866), more correctly known as Seathl, was a Susquamish chief who lived on the islands of the Puget Sound. As a young warrior, Chief Seattle was known for his courage, daring and leadership. He gained control of six of the local tribes and continued the friendly relations with the local whites that had been established by his father. His now famous speech was believed to have been given in December 1854. The city of Seattle is named after the Chief.

3) Solitude
I have long been a fan of the French contemporary bassist Joëlle Léandre and first heard her play in 1982 at the Isle of Man Competition & Festival. Yesterday, (4 May 2021) I had some free time and wrote this short piece as a gift for her. The ideas had been going through my mind all morning and at lunchtime I was able to start work on the piece. At the time it had no title but as I worked on it last night the title came and Solitude seemed ideal for a piece which is relatively spare and bleak. Lasting a little more than a minute, it includes a number of contemporary techniques but is hopefully accessible and still within a lyrical framework.

4) Mr Field – His Humour
I first met Chris Field when he was the Adjudicator at a Music Festival in Aldershot. I knew he was a double bassist and we talked about his compositions, not only for the bass, and over the past few years we are pleased to have published a number of his original works and transcriptions. Mr Field – His Humour was composed in November 2019, as an early 80th birthday present for the following year, and is a lively and rhythmic one-page piece, remaining primarily in bass clef. The crisp rhythms and strong momentum reflect a musician who remains constantly active as a conductor and adjudicator with no intention of slowing down or retiring.

5) The Joy of Understanding (dedicated to Gabriele Ragghianti)

1. La belle ferronnière is a portrait of a lady, usually attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, in the Louvre Abu Dhabi.The painting’s title, applied as early as the seventeenth century, identifying the sitter as the wife or daughter of an ironmonger (a ferronnier), was said to be discreetly alluding to a reputed mistress of Francis I of France, married to a certain Le Ferron. ‘La belle ferronnière’ depicts a beautiful young woman with a confident and direct stare into the distance. She appears assured and determined and the music has a bold and confident narrative, exploiting the cantabile and lyrical range of the double bass. The piece contrasts slow and confident themes with music of a more dramatic and energetic nature, hoping to capture the hidden thoughts and feelings of this beautiful and intriguing young woman.
PREMIERE: Thursday 2 May 2019 at Silk Mill West (Frome, Somerset) by Dritan Gani

2. La Gioconda (Mona Lisa) has been described as “the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world”. The painting is a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, and is believed to have been painted between 1503 and 1506, although Leonardo may have continued working on it as late as 1517. It was acquired by King Francis I of France and has been on permanent display at the Louvre Museum in Paris since 1797. La Gioconda is played entirely in harmonics and the opening and recurring four note motif represents her smile, described as enigmatic but also alluring and aloof. The music is simple and straightforward, evocative and atmospheric, exploring the flute-like sounds of the harmonics in a lyrical and sonorous idiom, with a gentle ebb and flow.
PREMIERE: Thursday 2 May 2019 at Silk Mill West (Frome, Somerset) by David Heyes

3. The Last Supper is a late 15th-century mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci housed by the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan (Italy). It is one of the world’s most recognizable paintings. The work is presumed to have been started around 1495–96 and was commissioned as part of a plan of renovations to the church and its convent buildings by Leonardo’s patron Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. The Last Supper is slow and solemn, almost exclusively in the key of E minor, and utilises much of the higher register of the double bass. The opening four note motif is the basis for much of the melodic material and the piece exploits the lyrical and sonorous qualities of the double bass. The tempo remains constant until the last few notes with the glorious cantabile sound of the solo double bass influencing the mood and style of the piece.
PREMIERE: Sunday 5 May 20129 at Village Hall (Templecombe, Somerset) by Alexander Heather

6) Syrinx
Syrinx is dedicated to Glen Rodriguez who has premiered and played a number of my works in Venezuela and was composed in 2018 for the ‘Syrinx Project’. It lasts around three minutes, and features the lyrical and sonorous possibilities of the double bass, primarily in its orchestral register. The first few bars of Debussy’s masterpiece for flute have influenced the musical narrative, particularly its rhythmic and chromatic opening motif. Sul ponticello is introduced to contrast the colours and timbres, and the middle section features music of a more dramatic nature which graually decreases in momentum and drive as it moves into a higher register. The piece ends slowly and atmospherically repeating the chromatic motif as the music recedes into the far distance.
PREMIERE: Saturday 17 February 2018 at Wolvercote Hall (Oxford, UK) by David Heyes
IRISH PREMIERE: Saturday 24 February 2018 at Triskel Arts Centre (Cork City, Republic of Ireland) by David Whitla

7) Self-Portrait I
This short piece is based on four letters from my name – D-A-E-S (E flat) and the melodic line was influenced by the first few notes. Writing a ‘self-portrait’ is quite a challenge, deciding what to include, what to leave out, and how much to show to the world? I like my own company but I also enjoy relaxing and spending time with my family and friends. I love performing as a soloist but also enjoy working with other musicians. I can be outgoing and funny, impulsive and madly enthusiastic, but also introspective and quiet. I am probably as complicated as the next musician and ‘Self-Portrait I’ hopefully reflects some of my personality – or as much as I want you to see. I plan to write a Self-Portrait at the end of every year and I wonder if this piece reflects 2020 or is just something I have enjoyed writing? Who knows and who cares? I hope you like the piece but if not there will be another one next year!

8) Self-Portrait II
Self-Portrait II was completed on 14 February 2022, remains in bass clef throughout, and is based on the letters from my name (D-A-H/B-E-S/Es/E flat). A year ago in Self-Portrait I the notes favoured G minor but this year E flat was changed to D sharp and E minor was the result. Written on one page and lasting less than 2 minutes, I had more to say this year than last but I think the changes in style match my moods and feelings. I often flit from one project to another, eventually returning to finish what I had started, but I enjoy the variety of change and this piece, which is complete in itself, will be part of an ongoing series of works, with a new piece written at the start of each year. I wonder what I will say next year?

9) On the Wings of an Angel
‘May you travel through life on the wings of an angel’ was the inspiration for this short piece, which I completed on 19 February 2020. Tony Osborne was a great friend for almost 30 years and is very much missed. He was an astounding composer, although he didn’t know how good he was, and it was an absolute privilege to be his friend and publisher for most of my adult life. Ideas for the piece came in the early hours of one morning, initially in the key of A major, but gradually changed to A minor and with a sharpened 7th. My aim was to create a short piece which didn’t outstay its welcome and was an amalgam of a lyrical song and a lament for my friend. The opening three notes act as a unifying motif throughout and it employs a four octave range, albeit primarily in the lower two octaves of the instrument. There should always be a strong narrative and feeling of line, emphasising the lyrical and sonorous qualities of the double bass, rising in intensity to the highest register, and ending with a pizzicato episode before slowly dying away into silence.
PREMIERE: Friday 21 February 2020 at Conservatoire of Music (Mechelen, Belgium) by David Heyes

10) We are such stuff As dreams are made on
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp’d tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

[The Tempest Act 4, scene 1, 148–158]
Composed on 26/27 May 2016, this one-minute piece employs a range of colours and textures to create the magical and mystical world of Prospero and his mythical island from William Shakespeare’s The Tempest