I wrote this piece to exemplify minimalism and aleatoricism to my pupils. The playback won't sound at all like the real thing does. Remarkably, the performance sounded eerily tuneful! The idea for the came from the premise of the National Lottery.

It Could Be You - Instructions

STRINGS AND WOODWIND
Select 6 different pitches from the Chromatic Scale (any octave). Play very rapidly in any order and any rhythms making a crescendo. When the cymbal clashes, stop on one note - either sustain at fortissimo (WW) or tremolando at fortissimo (S). When cymbal starts to play again, repeat the process using the 5 remaining pitches from your selection, then with 4 pitches and so on until you have used all 6 notes. Award yourself a point if you play the same pitch as the xylophone at the cymbal clash. If you get all 6 ‘correct’ you win the jackpot.

CYMBAL
Play a long tremolando, crescendoing all the time to an extremely loud clash. Wait a little while then start again - play 6 times in all.

XYLOPHONE
Select 6 different pitches from the Chromatic Scale. Wait for the cymbal clash then play one of your selected notes very, very loud, with hard beaters, tremolando. Repeat process 5 times, using a different note each time until all have been used.

VOICES
Each singer chooses one of the patterns in the score. Repeat it at any dynamic using the rhythm indicated but at any speed, using relative pitches (like sprech gesang). Repeat 5 times using different pattern each time until you have exhausted all 6 patterns. Singers should not try to use the same pattern at the same time and should not try to sing ‘together’.

DRUMS
On tom-toms (or bongos), play the ostinato pattern indicated at a steady speed to symbolise the drudgery of life in modern Britain.