SKU: A0.749400

Petrichor is the scientific name given to the earthy smell of rain coming into contact with the ground. The work starts with the image of the rain just beginning to occur, with finger snaps, leg slaps, and the sound of palms rubbing together simulating the rain fall. The music starts at a slow tempo and increases over the length of the piece as the downpour accelerates. By the end, one might even imagine walking out onto a porch to enjoy watching the rain continue to fall, as it offers up even a moment of peace.

From a rehearsal standpoint, Petrichor is not technically demanding. It focuses on the patterns that occur during rainfall, using them to help build towards the exciting conclusion. Working each pattern independently before bringing them together is very helpful, as it will help lock in the mix of rhythms. The opening does not need to feel rushed and should be allowed to breathe, and each increase in the tempo should not be telegraphed, but should flow from the previous tempo. The ending combines straight eighths and sixteenths with a running triplet pattern between them; the triplet pattern should feel like it sits on top of everything else, almost floating along like a cloud.

This was a pleasure to compose, and I hope you enjoy rehearsing and performing Petrichor.