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]

Hold On... was composed at the end of June 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 composed in memory of his mother Bridget Green (20 August 1959 - 17 June 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 alongside 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.

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 19 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.