The Australian writer Henry Handel Richardson (1870–1946) was christened Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson: she adopted a male nom de plume in anticipation of professional prejudice. Although she made in international reputation as a novelist, she first trained as a pianist and wrote songs all her life – but they remained unpublished, so that her output as a composer has been completely overlooked until now. Her songs are straightforward and melodious, drawing their inspiration from Romantic German Lieder and Edwardian drawing-room ballads, lullabies and parlour songs in the manner of Bridge, Ireland, Quilter and other such composers.

The cover portrait was painted especially for this release by the well-known Australian artist Cathy Wilcox, best known for her cartoons for The Sydney Morning Herald.