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Edward Thomas is usually described as a war poet, but h wrote little during the few months he spent on the front line in France. His poetry pans only a short period of his life, and a significant proportion dates from after his enlistment in the Artists’ Rifles in July 1915. ‘It Rains’ was written in May 1916 when he was in a training camp, and probably relates to walks that he took in the nearby Essex Woods. It was one of the last of his pastoral poems as his poetry began to focus on the war that he would join at the beginning of the following year.

It Rains was composed for Roderick Williams to sing, and as an 80^th birthday present for my friend Anthony Payne.

Colin Matthews

‘Concise… effective. It Rains gives a death march-like tread to the bittersweet pastoral poem.’
The Guardian (Andrew Clements), 22 March 2017

‘Exquisite in its understatement. The shoots of grass in Thomas’ verse grow clean and sweet in Matthews’ curling figures for oboe and flute…’
The Times (Anna Picard), 24 March 2017