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Double Bass News July 2017

An Englishman Abroad

David Heyes recently returned from recording a new CD in Oslo for Prima Facie Records. The international project brought together bassists from Britain, Sweden, Norway and Poland, alongside international soprano Sarah Poole, performing music from composers in six countries. Rehearsed and recorded at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo from 30th June to 2nd July, and at Village Studios in Templecombe, Somerset, on 23rd July, Typically Teppo celebrates the music of legendary Finnish composer-bassist Teppo Hauta-aho alongside works composed for Teppo-Fest 2016 to celebrate his 75th birthday. David Heyes was the driving force behind the project, performing a trio and three quartets by Teppo Hauta-aho and Simón García with Dan Styffe and Kenneth Ryland, both members of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Karol Cieśluk from the Norwegian Ballet Orchestra, alongside ten of his own Finnish Sketches for unaccompanied double bass and a most evocative and beautiful A Little Song for Teppo by Katrien Bos with soprano Sarah Poole. Teppo Hauta-aho has been a guest at Wells on several occasions, also celebrating his 65th, 70th and 75th birthdays in Somerset. He is the most prolific composer in the history of the double bass and many of his works have been composed for and premiered by David and his students over the past 20 years. His music combines elements of classical, contemporary, jazz and improvisatory styles which explore vast musical landscapes but always in a lyrical and accessible idiom. All the works are premiere recordings and Poem Basso Trio II has a nice link to Wells and was first performed at the school by ex-Wellensian Joe Prindl, David Heyes and Alex two years ago and is dedicated to the three bassists. Typically Teppo will be released towards the end of 2017 and David is already planning Teppo-Fest in Helsinki in 2021 to celebrate Teppo’s 80th birthday. Photos: Sarah Poole