Born into the well-known 'Gibbs toothpaste' family, Armstrong Gibbs (he hated the Cecil with which his name is often prefixed)—born 1889, died 1960—is a member of that wide category of English composers who, without pretensions to 'significance' or greatness, left much attractive and worthwhile music without which we would be much the poorer. Moderately prolific, his 'op' numbers extend to over a hundred. Much of his music, therefore, still awaits investigation and reassessment. He wrote over 150 songs, many of them to words by his friend Walter de la Mare, of which there are a dozen in this collection of 36, including the much-loved 'Silver' and 'Five Eyes'.

The programme is shared between soprano Geraldine McGreevy and baritone Stephen Varcoe whose love for these songs is apparent in their affectionate performances with Roger Vignoles.