COMPOSER / LYRICIST

In 1990 I was commissioned by PBS to produce, write and host an international documentary series on the wide variety of societal responses to grief, dying and death around the world. This was an extremely complex and difficult project, more than three years in production. One of the most artistically challenging aspects was the musical score, which required a stylistic and thematic cohesion throughout the four programs while accompanying and enhancing indigenous music from many different religions and cultures, including the Ashanti of Ghana, Southern American black gospel, Western European classical, Zen Buddhist, and the sometimes sad, sometimes sprightly funereal music of the Irish, Mexicans, Chinese, Indians, Native Americans, Japanese, Israelis, Welsh, Maori, Australian Bungalung, and many others. Because of an extremely successful collaboration with DAVID DUVALL on a previous project, he was hired as the composer for Death: The Trip of a Lifetime. Working with a limited budget, Mr. Duvall created (and mostly performed) a score that was brilliant in meeting our objectives. Death was first broadcast internationally in 1993, and has been seen hundreds of times since, always to acclaim.

Because of his great success with the Death project, I subsequently hired Mr. Duvall to compose the score for Vaudeville: An American Masters Special, which I conceived, wrote and produced. Here the challenge was to create incidental music that would link film clips of almost 90 different vaudeville acts, ranging from 1898 to 1944 and from dancing bears to Burns & Allen; in other words, new music that was cohesive for the entire two-hour program but still fit the period and style of the disparate vaudeville acts. Again Mr. Duvall's work was outstanding; his knowledge of and sensitivity to musical history, as well as his musicianship, are unparalleled and exactly what the program needed. In 1997, Vaudeville was named one of the ten outstanding television programs of the year, and the best variety special, by People Magazine. It also garnered the largest audience to that time of any American Masters presentation.

David Duvall is a brilliant composer, a great artist who is also easy to work with, fast on his keys, and dedicated to the task at hand. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

- Greg Palmer, Emmy-winning Writer/Producer

I've had the pleasure of singing David's origial compositions for over 20 years. He creates moods and evokes rich emotions with his melodies and lyrics. Admittedly, some of his songs are so poignant and perfectly focused they are difficult to sing, which is exactly why they must be performed! He understands human nature so well and captures all the longing, dreaming, pain and joy.

- Laurie Clothier, vocalist