Whitacre - Cloudburst from Cloudburst by UPEI Wind Symphony

Cloudburst literally means a sudden heavy rainstorm. It was first written by Whitacre in 1991 for mixed chorus, piano, handbells and percussion and subsequently received first prize in the American Choral Director’s Association’s Composers of the Future competition. It was inspired by an astonishing thunderstorm that the composer witnessed in Northern California. In the fall of 2001 Whitacre received a commission for which he adapted the piece for Wind Band. The piece is in three sections. The introduction begins with the band singing the Spanish words La Iluvia which means the rain. This dissolves into a shimmering dissonance over which the horns present a robust theme which together builds rather powerfully. A recitative in the bass clarinet provides a bridge to the second section of the work which is rather reflective and prayerful perhaps describing the need for rain after a long drought. The final section of the piece is the Cloudburst which is announced by the whispering of the words La Iluvia. This is where the image of a rainstorm is created. The audience performs in order to create the heavy rain and sustain it while the band continues to play.

The University of Prince Edward Island Wind Symphony consists of music majors, other UPEI students, and community musicians. Commissioning new compositions, featuring outstanding student and professional soloists, and showcasing masterworks of the wind band genre are all hallmarks of this ensemble.

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