God, grant me the strength
of eagle wings,
the faith and courage
to fly to new heights,
and the wisdom
to rely on His spirit to carry me there.

- Native American Prayer for Serenity -

David Heyes writes: "This prayer was the starting point for Serenity and with an unusual scoring for viola and 2 double basses which is both dark and rich. Lucy Scanlon, who I have know for over 20 years and who was one of my students in Reading from about 8 years old, asked me to write a piece in memory of her Mum to be played at her funeral on Saturday 16 July 2016.

Sara Scanlon (1958-2016) was an amazing lady, wonderfully supportive of her two daughters, always positive and upbeat, helpful and friendly to everyone, and always there if she was needed. I have known Sara as long as I have known Lucy and we last spoke in March at the Slough Massed Bass Concert. Sara and her husband Michael were always enthusiastic and supportive of BYMT (Berkshire Young Musicians Trust) and both Lucy and Jane were prominent and active musicians for many years. Lucy also studied with me at the Royal Academy of Music (JD) and finally for 6th Form at Wells Cathedral School. She was a talented double bassist and was a much valued member of the double bass department.

I was honoured to have been asked to write a piece to be included in Sara's funeral service. The four minute piece is generally slow and meditative with all the melodic interest given to Sara's two daughters Jane (viola) and Lucy (double bass 1) and my part, as double bass 2, is simply to support the solo lines, underpin the music, and add a rhythmic movement throughout."

Serenity - A Meditation for Sara was rescored for double bass trio and premiered at the Purcell School (Bushey, Herts) on Sunday 24 July 2016 by Eloise Riddell, Jacob Robinson and David Heyes, receiving it's Czech premiere on Wednesday 21 September 2016 at the Academy of Music in Prague by Joe Prindl, Danijel Radanovic and David Heyes.

The music is slow moving initially, setting the mood of the piece, with a middle section which has more direction and momentum primarily pushed along by the repeated motif from bass 3. It returns to the more solemn style towards the end with a sustained two-part chord which contrasts the cadenza-like music for bass 3 which begins below the chord and quickly moves into the higher register, played in harmonics and ending gently and hopefully with a feeling or resolution.

David Heyes studied double bass with Laurence Gray and Bronwen Naish and later at the Royal College of Music in London. He completed his post-graduate studies in Prague with Frantisek Posta (Principal Double Bass, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra). He has given recitals and masterclasses in 13 countries over the past few years and has been a juror at a number of international competitions, twice as chairman.

David has been Specialist Double Bass Tutor at Wells Cathedral School for 20 years and received 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. He works with composers throughout the world and is particularly interested to expand the double bass repertoire, by commissioning new works and by rediscovering forgotten ones. Over the past 30 years he has commissioned more than 500 works, from beginner to virtuoso, and from one to twenty basses.

David has transcribed more than 200 works for double bass, many published by Recital Music, and in recent year has also composed a number of original works for double bass which have been performed in Britain, America, Venezuela, Turkey, Spain, Mexico, Germany and Czech Republic. David is self-taught as a composer and his music has been described as lyrical, evocative and accessible, but certainly of the 21st-century.