Down Low Dirty Rat (PDF)

Live audio coming soon!

Low Down Dirty Rat was commissioned by Stefanie Gardner for Team Lo-Blow at Glendale Community College (AZ)

Low Down Dirty Rat is a musical journey that explores the emergence of the rat as a symbol of deceit, cunning, and mischief—qualities that led to its transformation from a simple creature to one of humanity's most despised enemies.

The piece is written for a low clarinet choir, where the deep, resonant tones of the bass and contrabass clarinets lend themselves perfectly to the dark and mischievous nature of the rat. The music evolves to reflect the rat’s transition from a humble rodent, once living alongside humans in the shadows of cities and farmlands, to a symbol of betrayal, disease, and chaos.

Low Down Dirty Rat invites the listener to reflect on how this simple rodent became an embodiment of everything that threatens our sense of security, pushing us to recognize that even the most insignificant creatures can become formidable enemies when they work in the shadows of human existence.

Instrumentation:
Basset Horn
Alto Clarinet
Bass Clarinet 1, 2, 3, 4
Contralto Clarinet
Contrabass Clarinet