Irish Sergeant's plight might not be unusual for the time period he is re-enacting. I've read of several singers, who, upon introducing a new song in the days before recording devices (and even into the 1920's), would have demands for several encores of the same song so the audience could catch all the words.

This sometimes had the effect of "stopping a show", but it must have done wonders for the singer's ego if their voice and patience held out. It kind of puts our modern "pretend you're my juke box" problems in perspective!