Ivor gurney biography of abraham

'Little did I dream, England, that you bore me / Under the Cotswold hills beside the water meadows, / To do you dreadful service, here, beyond your borders / And your enfolding seas.' Strange Service

Ivor Gurney (1890-1937) was born in Gloucester on 28th August 1890, the son of David and Florence Gurney, a family of tailors.

Gloucester, and the surrounding countryside, were to be a major influence on the rest of his life, constantly drawing him back. He was educated at the King's School in Gloucester Cathedral as a chorister and organist, and his love of music was to be one of the dominating influences of his life.

In 1911 he studied at the Royal College of Music under Sir Charles Stanford.

Gurney tried to enlist at the outbreak of war, but was rejected due to poor eyesight (he wore glasses throughout mos