The baritone, Bridge Peters, was active in the first quarter of the 20th century. He was born in late 1878 in Haslingden, near Altrincham in Lancashire, England. In 1907 he married Daisy, and by 1911, they had a son James, and were living in Manchester, and were financially secure enough to have a domestic servant. Bridge Baron Peters lived for most of his life in or around Manchester, but appears to have moved to the south coast of England around the start of the Second World War. He died in the spring of 1949, in Honiton, Devon,

There are a few mentions of concerts to be found online, including a Prom concert on Tuesday 1st October 1912, conducted by Sir George Henschel, at which he sang Henschel’s “Young Diderich”, in an orchestration by Percy Pitt, and the first Proms performance of “The Sea Road” by Haydn Wood, with Frederick Kiddle at the piano. Peters made several recordings for the Gramophone Company between 1910 and 1914, issued on the Zonophone label, and also for Edison Bell around the same time (some issued on the Winner label.)

Handel – Samson – Honour and Arms
Bridge Peters, baritone
with Orchestra

Handel – Samson – Honour and Arms – Bridge Peters

(mp3 file – click to play, or right click the link, then select “Save as”)

Edison Bell 24 (10”)
Matrices 2116B-3, 2117E-3
Recorded c1912

Plays in score pitch of B flat major at 75rpm.

This copy is very worn, and the sound was very thin. In re-equalising the sound, the surface noise of the record has been accentuated.