Torrent

A storm of fiddle tunes and ostinatos portrays a flash flood rushing down a southwestern slot canyon in this fast-paced outing for advancing string orchestra. Conceived as an American response to the fourth movement of Gustav Holst's "St. Paul's Suite," Torrent is set in a lively 6/8 meter in minor pentatonic tonality. After the piece flows through a few fiddle-friendly keys, the first violins bring on the deluge with accessible third-position arpeggios.