Although untrained musically, William was an enthusiastic member of the local operatic society and of several choirs, and his wife Alice (née Murray), whom he married in 1900, was a competent singer with a strong contralto voice.
Aínda que sen formación musical, William era un entusiasta membro da sociedade operística local e de varios coros, e a súa muller Alice (de solteira Murray), coa que casou en 1900, era unha cantante competente cunha profunda voz de contralto.