Alan Rowlands was born into a musical home in Swansea and early acquired a love of English music, particularly Vaughan Williams, Delius and Ireland. But he was also fascinated by chemistry and this interest won him a scholarship to Jesus College, Oxford, where he remained for seven years, revelling in the musical life of the University, his interest in science meanwhile steadily declining. He then obtained a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, studying piano with Angus Morrison, and it was Angus who introduced him to John Ireland, several of whose works he had played at Oxford and at the RCM. This led to a series of visits to Ireland's windmill home in the Sussex downland, where he often received the benefit of the composer's advice, and when Lyrita undertook to record Ireland's complete piano music it was Alan whom the composer selected. Five LPs were issued and followed by three of Ireland's songs and these pioneering recordings of the 1960s and ‘70s were finally issued on CD in 2008.