David Heyes: Child's Play for Junior Double Bass Ensemble (any number of players)

About the Composition

Child’s Play is a fun piece for bassists of all ages and abilities and is playable by any number of players.

All the notes are produced using a chopstick (or pencil) and the piece is designed to explore the many different sounds and playing effects available on the double bass, alongside the skills of learning to work as an ensemble and to follow a conductor’s beat.

Everyone plays in time but starting at staggered intervals and, after the initial five bar music at letter A, may play any other section and in any order.

Everyone eventually plays the Ending Music and the piece ends quietly before a sudden shouted phrase by the entire bass orchestra.

"Child's Play was inspired by my recent concerts and workshops in Scotland and is dedicated to the young bassists and teachers at Big Noise Raploch (Stirling) and Big Noise Govanhill (Glasgow).

It can be performed by any number of bassists and uses a chopstick to produce the sounds. The bassists explore many different playing effects, also learning to keep in time and take directions from a conductor.

'Child's Play' is meant to be a fun piece which also sounds exciting and is different at every performance, depending on the choices the bassists make. Letter J is four bars of chaos - allowing the bassists to make as much noise as they wish.

'Child's Play' was composed for my younger students at Wells Cathedral School (Somerset, UK) and was premiered there on Sunday 4 November as part of A Turetzky Tribute, a celebration of Bertram Turetzky's amazing musical career and 85th birthday." [David Heyes]

About the Composer

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.

PERFORMANCE DIRECTIONS

All the notes and sounds are produced using a chopstick.

The piece can be performed by any number of bassists.

Each player or group of players should begin when directed by the conductor. Everyone plays independently but in the same tempo.

Each entry should always begin on the first beat of a bar but should start at staggered intervals.

Everyone plays the music at letter A and can then play any other letter and in any order. Repeats are optional.

Players may pause for a bar of silence if they wish before re-joining the ensemble but always start to play on the first beat of a bar.

The conductor directs each player to the

David Heyes - Child’s Play for Junior Double Bass Ensemble

Child’s Play is a fun piece for bassists of all ages and abilities and is playable by any number of players.

All the notes are produced using a chopstick (or pencil) and the piece is designed to explore the many different sounds and playing effects available on the double bass, alongside the skills of learning to work as an ensemble and to follow a conductor’s beat.

Everyone plays in time but starting at staggered intervals and, after the initial five bar music at letter A, may play any other section and in any order.

Everyone eventually plays the Ending Music and the piece ends quietly before a sudden shouted phrase by the entire bass orchestra.

"Child's Play was inspired by my recent concerts and workshops in Scotland and is dedicated to the young bassists and teachers at Big Noise Raploch (Stirling) and Big Noise Govanhill (Glasgow).

It can be performed by any number of bassists and uses a chopstick to produce the sounds. The bassists explore many different playing effects, also learning to keep in time and take directions from a conductor.

'Child's Play' is meant to be a fun piece which also sounds exciting and is different at every performance, depending on the choices the bassists make. Letter J is four bars of chaos - allowing the bassists to make as much noise as they wish.

'Child's Play' was composed for my younger students at Wells Cathedral School (Somerset, UK) and was premiered there on Sunday 4 November as part of A Turetzky Tribute, a celebration of Bertram Turetzky's amazing musical career and 85th birthday." [David Heyes]

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.

PERFORMANCE DIRECTIONS

All the notes and sounds are produced using a chopstick.

The piece can be performed by any number of bassists.

Each player or group of players should begin when directed by the conductor. Everyone plays independently but in the same tempo.

Each entry should always begin on the first beat of a bar but should start at staggered intervals.

Everyone plays the music at letter A and can then play any other letter and in any order. Repeats are optional.

Players may pause for a bar of silence if they wish before re-joining the ensemble but always start to play on the first beat of a bar.

The conductor directs each player to the Ending Music, which remains in tempo, but gets louder until everyone is playing and then becomes quieter and quieter, dying away to nothing. The conductor brings the music to an end. There is one bar of silence - hopefully the audience will begin to applaud - and suddenly everyone shouts CHILD’S PLAY! or a phrase which is appropriate to the ensemble, performance or venue.

Child’s Play can also be performed with two or three bass ensembles, each with their own conductor and slightly spaced apart. Each ensemble can choose to play in time with the others or independently, at the conductor’s discretion. The conductor can also decide the length of the piece, to add one or two bars of silence occasionally, and the possibilities are endless.

David Heyes (Somerset, October 2018)