L S Lowry Bourton on the Water Snow 1947

 

Title: Bourton-on-the-Water

Year: 1947

Artist: L.S. Lowry

Subject: The Cotswolds village of Bourton-on-the-Water

Significance: It is one of Lowry's few non-industrial paintings and is considered one of his most successful landscapes. It captures a sense of calm and ease, unlike the industrial crowds he is more known for painting.

Inspiration: The work was inspired by Lowry's visits to the Cotswolds in the 1940s, which he described as "quaint" and appreciated for the warm, honey-coloured stone of the buildings. He also illustrated a book about the area, A Cotswold Book, for which he produced 12 drawings.

Auction: The painting was part of the Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale at Christie's in October 2025 and was valued at between £400,000 and £600,000.

Legacy: The Lowry museum in Salford, dedicated to the artist, has expressed a wish to borrow the painting on loan to display it.

Green Grow The Rushes Kate Rusby

[Verse 1]

Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you one, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

One of them was all alone

Evermore will be, oh

[Verse 2]

Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you two, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

Two of them were lily babes

Dressed all in green, oh

Two of them were lily babes

Dressed all in green, oh

[Verse 3]

Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you three, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

Three of them were strangers

Come to see the babe, oh

Three of them were strangers

Come to see the babe, oh

[Verse 4]

Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you four, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

Four, the four evangelists

Down among the green, oh

Four, the four evangelists

Down among the green, oh

[Verse 5]

Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you five, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

Five, the ferryman in the boat

Sailing on the sea, oh

Five, the ferryman in the boat

Sailing on the sea, oh

[Accordion Solo]

[Verse 6]

Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you six, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

Six, the gospel preacher

Stories all to tell, oh

Six, the gospel preacher

Stories all to tell, oh

[Verse 7]

Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you seven, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

Seven, the stars all in the sky

Shining there above, oh

Seven, the stars all in the sky

Shining there above, oh

[Verse 8]

Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you eight, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

Eight is for the morning break

When all the world's awake, oh

Eight is for the morning break

When all the world's awake, oh

[Verse 9]

Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you nine, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

Nine is for the dilly bird

Never seen but heard, oh

Nine is for the dilly bird

Never seen but heard, oh

[Verse 10]

Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you ten, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

Ten the hand of kindness

Ten begins again, oh

Ten the hand of kindness

Ten begins again, oh

(Alternative, the ten commandments)

(Additional verses would be

[Verse 11] Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you leven, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

Leven the leven that went to heaven, etc

[Verse 12] Come, I will sing you

Green grow the rushes, oh

I'll sing you twelve, oh

Down among the rushes, oh

Twelve the twelve apostles, etc)

Notes

The seven are probably the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades star cluster. Other options include Ursa Major or the seven traditional planets. Alternatively, they could be the seven stars of Revelation 1:16, which are held in the right hand of Christ and explained as referring to the seven angels of seven of the early Christian churches.

The six are alternatively the six proud walkers or waters, a reference to the six jars of water that Jesus turned into wine at the wedding feast at Cana of Galilee, (John 2:6. )Or it may refer to Ezekiel 9:2 where six men with swords come in a vision of the prophet to slaughter the people, whose leaders (8:16) have committed such sins as turning East to worship the Sun, and "have filled the land with violence"

The four evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The three strangers are the three Magi of the Nativity. 

The two lily babes are traditionally John the Baptist and Jesus, both said to be born without original sin, making them the lily-white boys. It may refer to the story of the Transfiguration where Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus in clothes of 'dazzling white'.  Others suggest the Gemini twins.

This first verse originally referred to God.

Seven Joys Kate Rusby

[Verse 1]

The first good joy that Mary had it was the joy of one

To see her own son Jesus Christ when he had first begun

When he had first begun, good Lord and blessed may we be

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost through all eternity

[Verse 2]

The next good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of two

To see her own son Jesus Christ smiling first anew

Smiling first anew, good Lord and blessed may we be

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost through all eternity

[Verse 3]

The next good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of three

To see her own son Jesus Christ making the blind to see

Making the blind to see, good Lord and blessеd may we be

Praise Fathеr, Son and Holy Ghost through all eternity

[Verse 4]

The next good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of four

To see her own son Jesus Christ reading the Bible o'er

Reading the Bible o'er, good Lord and blessed may we be

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost through all eternity

[Accordion Solo]

[Verse 5]

The next good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of five

To see her own son Jesus Christ bringing the dead alive

Bringing the dead alive, good Lord and blessed may we be

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost through all eternity

[Verse 6]

The next good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of six

To see her own son Jesus Christ upon the crucifix

Upon the crucifix, good Lord and blessed may we be

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost through all eternity

[Verse 7]

The last good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of seven

To see her own son Jesus Christ ascending into heaven

Ascending into heaven, good Lord and blessed may we be

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost through all eternity

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost through all eternity

(At the begnning of the twentieth century Cecil Sharp found a woman in Mark, Somerset, called Jane Duddridge. She sang a version with three extra verses

8 The next great joy that Mary had, it was the joy of eight,

To see her own Son Jesus to bring the crooked straight;

To bring the crooked straight, good man, etc., etc.

9 The next great joy that Mary had, it was the joy of nine,

To see her own Son Jesus turn water into wine;

Turn water into wine, good man,etc., etc.

10 The next great joy that Mary had, it was the joy of ten,

To see her own Son Jesus bring up ten gentlemen;

Bring up ten gentlemen, good man, how happy may you be;

O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and Christ to eternity.)

L S Lowry Street Scene in the Snow 1941

 

Sisley Snow Scene 3

 

Pastel on Paper

Two More Advent Devotionals We Have Used

Two other deotionals we have used in the past are one by Joel Beeke and one compiled from the writings of J C Ryle.

Christmas Devotionals

In December it can be good to go through a helpful devotional based on advent thoiughts. Here are two good Christmas devotionals, one by Alistair Begg and one based on Handel's Messiah and by Dave and Sally Gobbett.