Panama City Pops

This next piece was written by one of our own David Goldflies, is again, you have your fan here. That’s a strong fan base man I’ll tell you why and he goes whoo. Anyway, I’m just kidding. I met David about seven years ago. I want to stress this because I love guys like this who have broad musical horizons and loves and understands and wants to understand each genre.

David Goldflies traveled with the biggest rock band in the nation in his time. He’s old now, but in his time, he traveled (not as old as me) anyway David traveled with the Allman Brothers Band as their bass player. You don’t get much bigger in the rock world and that. That’s significant.

I saw David you were doing a pickup, I think big band thing in the park and you came up introduce yourself said man I love to play with you and I said man here twist it. And he played bass and he had to share a story because you just bought a bass from a guy that played with Jackie Gleason. Right. Not you, I know the guy and I had sung with the Jackie Gleason show in those days me and the bass or old. and David he’s getting there. And anyway, he had he had that he was talking to me he come he is not left. I have watched him played jazz. I’ve watched him play rock. I’ve watched him play pop. Just everything and now he has an interest in symphonic writing. So he wrote a piece. Didn’t ask you if we’d play it or anything else. But I listened to it and I looked at it and I let us let let the orchestra play it so he could all composers hear they hear it
all but when it’s live it’s another story. And then it gave him an opportunity to grow from.

David I want you to come and just within 30 seconds share about New Hope. Would you do that can you can you me to hold your bass or are you conduct and I’ll play it. You got that. He didn’t know that was gonna ask me to do that. I want you to know David, as I would with anyone, and that microphone I guess it’s on. Is it on? Guys it’s on. It’s on. Just tell them how you came to write this.

Well thanks Eddie. Sure it’s kind of been an interesting journey to say the least. I got a little house in New Hope and New Hope for those who don’t know is like a gas station 30 miles north of here. That’s all there is. But if you turn there and go down into this beautiful valley it’s just beautiful, beautiful trees, and have a little house there. And one day I took a walk and there’s the Live Oak Baptist Church next door. Just walk through, walk through the cemetery just there’s a beautiful day. And I came back home and I have a little studio and I said you know I have some ideas and five hours later I had the basic three mellow first three melodies of the song. And I made some dinner and after that the next part came into my head so just kept working on it.

Um I thought it was done and then I played it for Rose. And Rose just fell in love with it and twisted she’s one of twisted Eddie’s arm. Made him listen to it. Yeah right there, it’s Rose our first cellist. And it’s just been a real interesting growth all along the way. But became more than that for me because, as I wrote it, I kept visualizing this Orchestra. It’s not just any orchestra it’s the orchestra that I cut my teeth on here locally. And so I would see you know Ron playing French horn and I’d write a part. And I’d think of the cello it’s Rose every way. I saw Yassa in my head first violin beautiful string melodies so it’s as much a product of this orchestra as it is of my concept from the feeling of that day. Proud to be here. Thanks a lot for listening.

(clapping)

Actually, Rose didn’t have to twist my arm once I heard it. It was just, I thought, you know we need to let this–we need to play this. Now, I went to New Hope to find David and the “now entering” sign and the “just leaving” were on the same post. So I didn’t find where he walked around the cemetery. I don’t know. But anyway, I think you will really enjoy his composition entitled New Hope.

(music plays)

Please don’t bring another one to me, I can’t stand the tears. Anyway, David’s father’s here. Where is your father David? He’s here. I don’t know if you can see. Mr. Goldflies made the batons that at least one of the conductors conducted with tonight. One used a purse, one used a gavel and something else, but he’s here to hear his son’s first composition, and I know you’re very proud and you have every right to be and again let’s thank David.

Music by Goldflies
New Hope World Premiere Original Performance
with Maestro Eddie Rackley
Score available by request: [email protected]