This duet is based on a childishly simple algorithm which transliterates various literary fragments onto a twelve-tone scale.

The basic text is from Nicholas Udall's 'school comedy,' Ralph Roister Doister (1552?), II. i. 20 Ð 26 :

Then vp to our lute at midnight, twangle-dome twang;
Then twang with our sonets, and twang with our dumps,
And heyhough from our heart, as heauie as lead lumpes;
Then to our recorder, with a toodleloodle poope,
As the howlet out of an yuie bushe should hoope;
Anon to our gitterne, thrumpledum, thrumpledum thrum,
Thrumpledum, thrumpledum, thrumpledum,
thrumpledum thrum!

Other texts include three lines (73 - 75) from George Chapman's 'gratulatory verse' to Ben Jonson's Sejanus and selections from the poetic spew of Rep. Robert Michel (R - IL) on the occasion of the House of Representatives' vote in February 1988 on Ronald Reagan's contra aid package.

wind quartet for lake resources

balance the budget, now

the telegraphed man

the deuill in the horologe

quartet 11:11