dynamics placing (was Re: Lilypond lobbying?)

[Frederick Dennis]

>> How do you like syntax like this:
>> e1 \< #0.25 \f #0.5 \> f2 \! #0.5
>> which would mean this
>> \new Voice << { e1 f2 } {s4 s4 \< s2 \f \> s4 s4 \! } >>

Dear All,
I've tried 

e1 \< #0.25 \f #0.5 \> f2 \! #0.5 

which gets an error: unexpected NOTENAME_PITCH

I've tried 

\new Voice << { e1 f2 } {s4 s4 \< s2 \f \> s4 s4 \! } >>

which works nicely. Without \new Voice, it goes on two staves.

<< e1 {s4 s4\< s2\f\>} >> << f2 {s4 s4\!} >>

produces two systems of two staves each without any
dynamics at all.

What about 

\new Voice  { e1*1/2\< s4\f s4\> f2*1/4 s4\! }

except this method doesn't line the hairpins up very well.