Part 01: Alan Fraser Fry letters, 8th August 1914- 28 January 1917 - Page 103
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[Page 103]
Our Social side is not being neglected either. We have Concerts about 4 times a week & passes the time very pleasantly. Of course these Concerts are not exactly like the Melba Concerts at Her Majestys or the Town Hall. Oh! dear no !! No evening dress or elaborate bows. The lads just jump on to the platform in dungarees and singlet (generally pretty dirty too) and if they sing a good song, get cheered, otherwise - counted out. Very often the accompanist does not know the song that is to be sung, but the music is a very minor detail, and the singer just faces the audience (a pretty critical one too) and gets it off his chest as best he can, and in many cases better than if he had the piano to accompany him, as a lot of these boys have hardly seen a piano before, leave alone sung to one. The Officers generally preside at these evenings to lend tone to the affair I suppose, and though there is a good deal of banter and "slinging off' goes on, I think everyone enjoys themselves.
Our one complaint is - lack of