 Hermione Baddeley.
When she was just sixteen, Hermione Baddeley was described as the stage's youngest leading
lady. That was in 1923 when she played Florrie Small in "The Likes of 'Er". In 1928 she married the Honorable
David Tennent, who was at one time a famous BBC announcer. Her first stage appearance was in "Make Believe" at
Hammersmith in 1918, and her first broadcast was in 1927 in the sketch "Catching the Male". |
 Isobel Baillie.
Isobel Baillie was a very fine soprano singer, famous wherever in the world the radio or
records would take her. She was born in Manchester, and made a great reputation as a singer of Handel's music,
especially in oratorio. She was originally called Bella Baillie, but changed to Isobel because she felt that
Bella was a bit music-hall. |
 George Baker.
George Baker was a famous baritone, born at Birkenhead. He made his debut on the air with a
recital of Sea Songs in October 1924. He was just as popular in America and what they used to refer to as "the
Colonies" as he was in Britain. |
 Sydney Baynes.
Sydney Baynes began his recording career around 1930. Sydney Baynes had a rather different
sort of a band, as you might expect from a man who was known for directing comic operas, revues, and plays. In
the 1930s, light hearted contributions were quite rare from the BBC, but always very welcome with the listeners.
|
 Eve Becke.
Eve Becke had a very special singing voice. Count Caneva di Rivavolo heard her singing on
the radio at his home in Milan and he came to London to track her down. They were married on January 1st 1935.
Her first appearance on the air was singing light songs in variety programmes in 1932. |
 Mavis Bennett.
Mavis Bennett, the popular coloratura soprano, married Mr Allan Levin, a Swedish engineer,
in 1933, and then used the professional name of Mavis Bennett-Levin. She was born at Redditch, and from a very
early age determined to make her name as a singer. She overcame all difficulties and joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera
Co, came to London, and was chosen by DeGroot from among sixty candidates as vocalist for his first broadcast
in 1925. Success was instantaneous. She also broadcast from continental stations in the commercially sponsored
programmes of the International Broadcasting Company. |
 Doctor Adrian Boult.
Dr. Adrian Boult was appointed music director of the BBC in 1930. He had been educated at
Westminster and Oxford and then moved to Leipzig to finish his musical education. He joined the staff of the
Royal Opera in 1914. He had conducted for the Royal Philharmonic Society and been on the teaching staff of the
Royal College of Music, before taking up his post with the BBC. |
 Leslie Bridgewater.
Leslie Bridgewater was a famous pianist and composer. He came from Halesowen, and was
originally destined to become a schoolmaster. He studied music at the Birmingham School of Music, and also in
London, and made his first broadcast in 1927, with a trio playing chamber music from Newcastle. |
 Davy Burnaby.
Davy Burnaby compered many shows for the BBC, and was known as "the limerick announcer". He
claimed to have broadcast two years before the BBC was founded, with a charity concert by his "Co-Optemists". His
break into show business came when he was 21 years old, and became a pierrot. |
 Ernest Butcher and Muriel George.
This pair used to call themselves Butch and George. They were known as the duettists who put
Ilkla' Moor on the map, by their rendition of the Yorkshire folk song. Butch started out aiming to be a serious
singer, especially opera, but when George came along she managed to persuade him that he was as much a comedian
as a tenor, and they started their broadcasting career at an Albert Hall Concert. |
