 Britten originally had the idea of striking teacups with a spoon, but having failed to make this work, he sought Imogen Holst's advice.She recalled that "by great good fortune I had once had to teach Women's Institute percussion groups during a wartime 'social half hour', so I was able to take him into my kitchen and show him how a row of china mugs hanging on a length of string could be hit with a large wooden spoon.Britten also added – relatively late in the process of scoring the work – an ensemble of handbell ringers.