David Woodard was born in 1969 and educated at Columbia, New School for Social Research and UC Santa Barbara. Woodard composed a military fanfare for brass and percussion setting of Mark Twain's posthumous story "The War Prayer," based on his own text revision. The work was recorded by attorney Melvin Belli, Sr., as orator, John Cage Ensemble percussionist William Winant and the San Francisco Symphony brass choir (Featuring Trey Spruance on trumpet), at Old First Church – the oldest Protestant congregation West of the Mississippi on March 12, 1996. Esquire Belli would pass away in his sleep within two weeks.

"The War Prayer" Live, March 12, 1996 - MP3