Brian Ferneyhough - Bone Alphabet
	Bone Alphabet was written at the request of percussionist Steven Schick, who wanted a solo piece for a very compact set of percussion instruments, so compact in fact that it could be transported in a single suitcase... This request resulted in a piece for seven sound sources. Each source must be of a different material and family of percussion instruments, but they must all provide a clear attack, a short decay and a big dynamic range. The ultimate choice of instruments lies with the performer. The rhythmic matrixes of Allgebrah for oboe and strings were used as a starting point for the composition. This material however was re-ordered and 'filtered' according to completely different formal criteria; thirteen 'areas' were staked out, and caleidoscopically re-distributed. Sudden sharp contrasts and an exceptional whimsicality are the result.