This book is an in depth performance guide to Ivor Gurney's song cycle "The Western Playland and of Sorrow. It also gives some biographical information on the life of Ivor Gurney, his relationship with Marion Scott and A. E Housman. It gives the song-form of each song, and valuable information of Gurney's compositional process. It explores the poems of A. E. Housman and how Gurney chose to set them. Lastly, if gives performance suggestions to the singer on how to approach each of the eight songs in the cycle.