I was struck by the raw beauty of New Zealand poet Hone Tuwhare's language. Like other master poets, his text seemed simple at first, but the more I worked with it, the more depth I found. I live next to the desert, in a region dry and dusty from a multiyear drought. Here, rain is something rare and wild; the overwhelm Hone writes about makes sense. I envisage as the song builds, the singers exulting in a muddy rain dance.

Something in the text reminded me of several of my favourite medieval songs, driven by clean powerful harmonies and crisp, exciting rhythms. To enhance the rhythmic feel of the text for singing, I wove in some raindrop sound effects.

Have a listen. This is a medium level challenge. It’s not sophisticated harmonically, but the rhythms will suit confident choirs who enjoy percussive music.