Letters of the Evans-Pughe Family

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

text excerpt

TO: The Rev. J and Mrs. Evans-Pughe, Tovil Vicarage, Maidstone, Kent

FROM: John Evans-Pughe, 14073964 l/Cpl Evans Pughe, S.I.C. c/o A.P.O SALONIKA, B.T.G (or British Forces in Greece)

DATE: August 4 1947

…Some of the violinists in these café orchestras are a real treat to listen to; one learns no end by watching them.  They play mostly Tangos and Rhumbas for dancing – not this horrible stuff you get to dance to in England…

…There is every sort of orchestra here varying from Symphony orchestras, sort of Park bands, Modern dance bands American style, Dance bands Greek style, to odd little bands which play a very Arabic sort of music.  The less primitive Greek music is very fascinating to listen to.  Since most of their words end in a vowel their songs are specially characterised by the sustaining of the last note of each line which is usually a rather raucus (bother, I can’t spell it) (rawcus?) vowelsound which they hang onto till the last possible moment.  From a distance it sounds rather like this:

Tum-tum-tum-tum tiddle iddle  ahaaaaaaa (these vowels have a squiggly line Over the top)

Tum-tum-….     ....      tiddle iddle  eeeeeeeee

….      …..   ….     …     ….      ….       Ai ai ai ai

….       ….   ….    ….    …..    …..       oh ooooooo

They always sing in two-part harmony; at least two part. [The squiggly line over the vowels] represents the sort of rasping noise the particular chorus I can hear at present is making….

excerpt from 'Letters of the Evans-Pughe Family' (254 words)

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1442317564661