The baritone, Bridge Baron Peters, was active in the first quarter of the 20th century. He was born in late 1882 in Haslingden, near Accrington in Lancashire, England. In 1907 he married Jane Annie Oldham (named as Daisy in the 1911 census). By 1911 they had a son James, and were living in Manchester, financially secure enough to have a domestic servant. Peters spent his youth in Accrington, and often performed in or around Manchester (though at least one concert notice in Scotland describes him as “of London”). He appears to have moved to the south coast of England around the start of the Second World War. He died on 21st May 1949, in Honiton, Devon, leaving more than £35000 to his widow and son.
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.