Karl Miller listed some unusual instruments used in CM compositions.
There are works by George Dreyfus and Peter Sculthorpe which include
the Australian aboriginal instrument, the didgeridoo (aka dijeridu).
Prokofiev's scandalously-underperformed Cantata for the Twentieth Century
of the October Revolution contains a siren. Malcom Arnold's Grand Grand
Overture has ad lib solos for four vaccuum cleaners and a floor polisher;
the first performance at the 1956 Hoffnung Festival also contained several
rifle shots, but I'm not sure whether these are in the authorised score.
Incidentally, listers may have seen mention of the availability on CD
of Gerard Hoffnung's Oxford Union address which includes a story about
a bricklayer. I have seen people crying with laughter at this wonderful
piece - I commend it to you very strongly indeed.
Richard Pennycuick
[log in to unmask]