[Arthur Gill did a number of jobs after leaving school in 1900, aged 13, including working as a stockroom boy at John Barran’s, a Leeds clothing firm where he ‘whisked’—kept clothing clean of dust]

I soon became bored with the monotony of whisking boys suits, however I did occasionally take a skep on wheels to another dept. by a subway under the road. I remember meeting one day a chap in this subway called Bucknall, he was a bass singer who used to go about singing solo parts in Oratorio at Chapels. This particular time I met him, he was bellowing out “Why do the Nations” from the “Messiah” and when I say “bellowing” I mean it! Can you possibly imagine what it sounded like in a Subway?!!.... it nearly deafenned [sic] me.  Talking about singing… there was one department I had to visit now and again, which rejoiced me very much. The foreman of this department was a Choir-Master and he encouraged his chaps to sing while they were working—and they could sing!—part songs, hymns and such like. It was a happy department! This was genuine “MUSIC WHILE YOU WORK” not to be compared with the stuff turned out on the Radio in later times.  There was no Radio then!