Composer, conductor and organist David Reeves began his professional career as a concert organist in the early 1960s. He turned to conducting and composition some ten years later. His works range across many styles, having been composed for theatre, stage, concert hall, church, film and sound recordings. Reeves describes his approach to writing as an attempt to bridge commercial and classical, while 'warming particularly to vocal textures in the Cathedral and large Choral traditions, as well as theatrical/jazz styles.'
Reeves music theatre works include: Seven Little Australians (1988), an adaptation of Ethel Turner's classic story; Favourite Son (1990, musical); James and Maggie (1991, musical); Cyrano de Bergerac (1992, opera), Dorian (1997, opera); Vox (2009, musical); and Hey! Hey! (a musical set to Mark Twain's theatrical text). He has also scored soundtracks for the films Silent Night (1973) and Tall Ships (1988).
In 2015 Reeves published the musical talk book Sumpin' Place under the writing name Roger D. Barringdon.