Many of the songs the soldiers sang in the First World War seem to have a simple innocence about them which somehow reflects their time - a time when people felt that right was on their side; that they were fighting to make a land fit for heroes to live in. Other songs, later in the war, reflect a growing cynicism, an acceptance that many lives would be needlessly lost. There is great variety in this album. In between rousing marches there are beautiful nostalgic ballads, mixed with parodies.