My friend and colleague, Dr. David Kirby, passed away unexpectedly yesterday. David was the Director of Bands at Pfeiffer University and one of the finest woodwind players I have known. We had been collaborating on different projects recently. He and I co-conducted a concert combining the Land of the Sky Symphonic Band and Pfeiffer University Wind Ensemble last April. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may remember his name as one of the members of the Lenoir Saxophone Ensemble, a group I recently wrote a number of arrangements for.
Today I composed this short piece for saxophone trio: soprano, tenor, and bari. David played alto saxophone with the Lenoir Saxophone Ensemble. It’s simply called Memoriam.
The piece is absolutely beautiful. It is a lovely work for him…Dr Kirby would have liked it. Makes me miss playing in Pfeiffer’s sax ensemble with him all the more…but in a good, reminiscent kind of way.
Thank you, Kerri. Dr. Kirby will also be missed by many of my friends and peers here in Asheville and down in Brevard too.