Now, we'll perform Cloudburst for you.

So with deep humility, and for your approval, we present Cloudburst.

(Applause) Cloudburst Octavio Paz translation by Lysander Kemp, adapted by Eric Whitacre

What really scares me, here at Spa, is driving into a cloudburst.

He lost nearly a lap when he spun in the worst of the cloudburst.

So what I've done is, I've adapted Cloudburst so that it embraces the latency and the performers sing into the latency instead of trying to be exactly together.

or as a cloudburst out of heaven in which is darkness, and thunder, and lightning they put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps, fearful of death and God encompasses the unbelievers

Or like a cloudburst from the sky, in which is darkness, and thunder, and lightning. They press their fingers into their ears from the thunderbolts, in fear of death. But God surrounds the disbelievers.

I found a poem by the Mexican poet Octavio Paz, and decided to set it to music, a piece for choir called Cloudburst, which is the piece that we'll perform for you in just a moment.

Or, like (those who, under) a cloudburst from the sky with darkness, thunder and lightning, they thrust their fingers in their ears at the sound of every thunderclap for fear of death, and Allah encompasses the unbelievers.