Vaughan Williams : The Sprig of Thyme and the Lark in the Morning. Sir George Clausen : Paintings. 

That must seem like another life now, although at the time it would have been just the way things were. What changes we've lived through; progress isn't always a forward step, sometimes we lose by it.

At almost 71 I know exactly what you mean. This music speaks to me, penetrating my soul and I long for that simpler time.

Your grandfather was right. Today, the threat is even worse: the smartphone. I teach middle and high school. The smartphone not only damages attention spans, it makes the kids much less sociable. During free hours and lunch, they sit together, scrolling their phones but rarely paying attention to the companions. All that said, thanks to davidharris2844 for posting the lovely Ralph Vaughan-Williams piece.

So so true ❤❤❤

Pleasure, glad you enjoyed the video Adam.

Pleasure, glad you enjoyed it Helen.

​@@davidharris2844 Very much.

Glad you enjoyed the video Michael. Sir George Clausen is one of my favourite artists, and his paintings do seem to harmonise with Vaughan Williams' more bucolic pieces.

@@davidharris2844 Yes indeed!

I agree, if Lady Britannia had a voice, then she would sing like this. RVW has this unique sense of Englishness to his music.

Glad you enjoyed it Bonnie. Sir George Clausen's paintings really stand out, for me, from others of a similar style and period; I love trying to read the character in the faces of the people he painted and imagining how their lives unfolded.

This "Sprig of Thyme" melody is based on the singing of the Lincolnshire singer Joseph Taylor, who you can hear singing the song here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3PxQ37K3rQs.html

Pleasure, glad you enjoyed it Aisling.

And from me, a wonderful 4 plus minutes of pure joy. Thank you.

@@malena3669 Oh‼️ Your comment is Wonderful, I am amazing When you use Japanese , I am pleasing and moving

Glad you enjoyed it Daniel. I only came across Sir George Clausen a few years ago, but, like you, I think his paintings are really quite special.

I could not have said it better....

It was a better England, forged by better people than you or I

Joboy. Your desire to escape the troubles of the modern world is actually understandable. We don't necessarily live in a better than the one RVW knew. Tolkien warned us against the "progress" of continual innovation.

This "Sprig of Thyme" melody is based on the singing of the Lincolnshire singer Joseph Taylor, who you can hear singing the song here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3PxQ37K3rQs.html

Es un placer que hayas disfrutado del video Jorge.

Pleasure. Vaughan Williams would often take traditional folk songs and turn them into these orchestrated marvels. Best wishes.

​​​​​​@@davidharris2844 The pleasure is mine...to listen to your extensive Magnificent works!☆☆ very grateful...I am always in an imaginary paradise when I hear them...my imagination flies, flies!!!🏍👱‍♀️🫖☕️🌻🍀🌳💚👋👍👌🎵🎶👏🌴❗️..I hope you have a nice day in your Autumn and romantic season!🍂🍁❄️🌬🌫❄️👋

I think Sir George Clausen is possibly my favourite artist; you can smell the scents of the countryside in his paintings and I love imagining the lives of the people he painted.

@@davidharris2844 The artwork you selected for this piece is spectacular, David, and like you I, too, love imagining the stories behind the lives depicted in each painting. I’ve listened to and watched this video several times. Very special.

I once lived next to someone who claimed to be distant descendant of his. Apart from the name I couldn't discern any similarities. Hope all goes well with you.

My apologies for not replying before and a belated thank you for your comment, I'm afraid I've only just come across it. I'm glad you enjoyed the video anyway.

Thanks for your kind comment Gerlinde. Glad you're finding a few videos you like.

So glad you enjoyed it Zinnia. Sir George Clausen is one of my favourite artists, I think the people in his paintings have such life.

His work is absolutely enchanting. My dear mother would have loved this video. 💐@@davidharris2844

Pleasure, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Wonderful music, wonderful paintings - you can't go wrong really.

I've only just come upon this utterly charming channel. Thank you, David, for your hard work and impeccable taste.

@@mavisching3280 Apologies and a rather tardy thank you to you Mavis for your kind comment. I'm glad you enjoy the channel.

@@davidharris2844 Thank you, David. As you can see, I'm still here.😁

Pleasure, glad you enjoyed it. I think Sir George Clausen's paintings are something really quite special.

Estoy muy contento de que lo hayas disfrutado tanto Daniel.

Glad you enjoyed it Zinnia. Sir George Clausen is very much a favourite artist of mine, his figures have such life. I like your name by the way - shades of H. E. Bates. Best wishes.

Dear David, I am listening to Gerald Finzi's The Fall of the Leaf that you put on RU-vid a few years ago, and listening to a party of jackdaws outside. The scene is autumnal. I mentioned quite a while ago a painting that my mother loved. One of the little girls looks like my daughter when she was very young. I had promised to let you know who had painted the tender pastoral scene. I hadn't forgotten but I wasn't sure where the postcard was as I have had it for about 40 years. I have the postcard here, from the National Gallery of Scotland, showing 'Summertime, Gloucestershire' by James Archer. I am sure you will have shown this sweet painting at some time. The tiny bit of information on the back of the postcard is interesting. Archer initially worked mainly in chalk.He exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy and London's Royal Academy (my favourire gallery). I have just finished reading Caroline Moorhead's Village of Secrets. In it is mentioned a 'group of resisters called Zinnia'. Best wishes. Zinnia@@davidharris2844

@@zinnia1626 Dear Zinnia, I've just been looking at the painting you mention - what a delightful scene; I especially like the inquisitive cowherd peering over the fence in the background. Is the girl who looks like your daughter the central figure looking out of the painting? I haven't used any of James Archer's paintings up to now, an omission I might have to try and rectify. I also might have to rectify not having read any of the books in Caroline Moorehead's "Resistance Quartet". It looks a fascinating and moving series. I hope you are keeping well, best wishes, David.

Good evening, David. Yes, isn't the painting so enchanting. The young girl I mentioned is on the right of the painting, wearing a little hat and dark cape. She has beautiful long golden hair which looks exactly as my daughter once had. Caroline Moorhead's books are excellent. I am reading the fourth book in the series although I didn't read them in their order. It doesn't matter though. And as with the first three I read, A Bold and Dangerous Family is hard to put aside. October tomorrow. Folk were still in shorts at the coast this morning. Have a very happy weekend. Zinnia. @@davidharris2844

Così felice che ti sia piaciuto. Penso che i dipinti di Sir George Clausen siano molto speciali.

It's a pleasure, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for your kind comment. I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

Hello Zinnia, nice to hear from you again. I've had a quick search to see if I could find that particular performance, but, like you, to no avail. It's a shame, it would have been interesting to hear how it worked with classical guitar. I've recently been listening to some of Julian Bream's masterclasses on BBC iPlayer, he and John Williams did so much to popularise the classical guitar. These days there are any number of fine young players. I hope all is well with you. My very best wishes, David

@@davidharris2844 Dear David, thank you for having a search for that particular piece that I mentioned. Andreas Scholl and John Williams stole the evening at that 2005 Prom. I watched it often on RU-vid. It was such a beautiful performance. They also played/sang Down By The Sally Gardens. I must take a look at Julian Bream on RU-vid. I know nothing about masterclasses on iPlayer. Thank you for the advice. I am listening to and watching Dmitri Hvorostovsky singing Moscow Nights at a Prom in 2006. I must get my Proms programme this week. 🎉Zinnia

Hello again Zinnia, I suspect the Julian Bream masterclasses may only be of interest if you play the classical guitar, but give them a go by all means. I play very badly, by the way. Let's hope for a good Proms season. Best wishes, David

@@davidharris2844 Just a quick reply, David. I am listening to another favourite Andreas Scholl performance - 'One Charming Night' from Purcell's The Fairy Queen. It is on RU-vid. Take care. Zinnia

Pleasure Beth. Some of these old folk tunes had lovely melodies and VW knew how to make the most of them. Hope all goes well. :-)

Salut Franz, je suis content que vous avez apprécié la vidéo. J’ai bien peur de ne pas avoir de tableaux d’Henri Stenn, en fait, si je suis honnête, je n’ai jamais vraiment entendu parler de lui; quelque chose que je vais devoir rectifier.

I don't know, but I would imagine that "The Lark in the Morning" is the section that runs between 1:10 and 2:52, "The Sprig of Thyme" being the sections at the beginning and end.