David Heyes: The Carousel for junior double bass quartet

About

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.

Testimonial

"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