2 conductors
1 pianist
1 flutist
2 trumpeters
2 contrabassists
4 cellists
4 violists
4 percussionists
12 violinists
22 singers
24 hours of rehearsal over 5 days in 4 different studios
2 vibraphones
2 five-octave marimbas
An assortment of pots and pans tuned to specific pitches
5 loudspeakers
1 specialized effects rack with computer
100 minutes of music from 8 different composers
(Collected from 4 different publishers and directly from 3 composers)
That’s what it takes!Here’s a shot of the parts for the Arvo Pärt piece Orient and Occident:

And a little surprise when we opened the Schafer score—staging for the strings and vocalists! All of the musicians are intermixed in a circle. This will have the effect of the sound swirling around between the vocalists and strings.