Leave Things Alive And Mysterious [2009] by Matthew Lee Knowles

For any number of piccolos
[in this recording, eight]

Instrumentalists of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama

SCORE
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16879879/Leave-Things-Alive-and-Mysterious

PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTIONS

There is one universal score and there needs to be at least three copies for each performer, positioned on the floor, on chairs, music stands etc, in the performance space.

Performers choose three positions in the space. This choosing is the beginning of the piece, should not be predetermined and will take about thirty seconds. Performers will be standing still whilst they are doing this and it should be made almost comically obvious what is happening, by exaggerated movements of the head, neck and eyes.

N.B. you need not choose positions near the score - these pages/music stands/chairs can always be moved by you, to suit you.

One of the performers will have a whistle/triangle/box of party poppers (anything that can be used to signal change) and after it is clear that everyone has chosen where they will move to this person will create a signal which will be your authorization to move to your first position. It is up to the signal-person how long each section lasts and they will play the game just like everyone else.

This structure continues, with each signal instructing performers to move to the next position:

In each position you will be near a score, each score is identical and has five lines. You should choose one line in each position and you are free to repeat, elongate, fragment, improvise, mime, respond or be completely silent - until you hear the next signal to move.

* On hearing the final signal you immediately enter the spoken coda, which requires each performer to speak quickly, without expression the following details:

#NAME #ADDRESS #AGE #PLACE OF BIRTH #FAVOURITE FILM

When the last person has spoken the last detail, the piece is finished