Let the exertion begin

Had enough of this dodgy finger

The smell of paraffin cancelled my senses
My soul now has a steady linger

Matthew Lee Knowles

January 2009
Dedicated to Markus Wenninger

Performance instructions
 There is no suggested or specific duration for this piece.
Piano + unspecified instruments

The pianist has the part marked ‘piano/

piano/?’only and will always
play the top line, occasionally playing both simultaneously.1

Each ensemble player should be able to see a copy of this.

There are four ensemble parts, titled ‘I/IV ’ etc

There should be many copies of these four ensemble parts around
the players so that they can see at least two different parts all
the time. (These parts should be interpreted freely.)

Each time the pianist starts a new line they will hold up the
corresponding number of fingers, so that each person can see and
with a pre-arranged signal will clearly start the new line.

The pianist does not always have to be playing.

Any other player can start playing that line only at the same
time. They cannot start any line without the ‘permission’ of
the pianist.

Other players, if they decide to play the ‘piano/?’
‘piano/?’ part should
use the bottom line of each section, playing the notes they can.

NB: the tempo should

should change regularly,
regularly, it is only important
important
that the line is started together (one person might start line
two with the pianist who plays very quickly leaving the other
player
play er to finish their line in their own time)

1
accidentals only apply to the notes they immediately precede.