Richard Baker R.I.P

[LMcD]

The former newscaster, 'Face The Music' regular and Proms presenter has died at the age of 93.

[Dave2002]

The former newscaster, 'Face The Music' regular and Proms presenter has died at the age of 93.

I liked his version of Peter and the Wolf with the NPO conducted by Raymond Leppard. I did have excuses to play it to children, but I liked it anyway.

RB RIP

PS: I had it on LP - the cover was different in those days, and now the CD version has Rawsthorne's Practical Cats as well.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prokofiev-Britten-Orchestra-Rawsthorne-Practical/dp/B000MCIB52

See https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Prokofiev...-/302138349774

[french frank]

A 'celebrity' who was brought in as a Radio 3 presenter - and really knew his stuff

[pastoralguy]

Sad news, indeed. Another part of my young life has left the stage.

I once played in a performance of Peter and the Wolf with him and he held the audience spellbound. (He was a very short chap, iirc).

RIP, Mr. Baker.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I met RB in 1990, when he MCed a military band concert in Scarborough. He made a wild, tongue-in-cheek statement, saying it was the best band in the entire world. I was writing a review for the Scarborough Evening News, and as I was not a vicious tabloid journalist, I asked whether it was OK to quote him on this. He shook my hand and thanked me for asking.

[doversoul1]

Didn’t he have a programme called Baker’s Dozen?

RIP

[cloughie]

Always appeared laid-back and unassuming calm and knowledgeable. So frequently in that box in the corner of the living room for a fair chunk of my life. RIP RB.

[Petrushka]

Sad to see another member of my father's generation depart and such a fixture of my younger years too with countless news broadcasts, Face the Music appearances, Prom and New Year's Day Concert presentations.

I met Richard Baker after the Last Night of the 1991 Proms and he was indeed much shorter than I imagined.

[ardcarp]

I seem to remember him introducing some music programmes. Wasn't he something of a pianist too? He was the calm but authoritative face of BBC News for years.

[Nick Armstrong]

Yes RIP - a ubiquitous and welcome face/voice of my childhood (not forgetting 'Mary, Mungo and Midge'! ) ... and I also got to play Peter and the Wolf with him narrating...

Touching story of his latter years: news-reading till (nearly) the end

[Alison]

There was just nothing to irritate when RB presented TV Proms.

So often presenters get in the way now.

RIP Richard Baker.

[LMcD]

I'm pleased to report that, at age of 85, Michael Aspel is still with us.

[BBMmk2]

Very sad news. What an innings though. The best, imo. RIP

[Pabmusic]

A great programme from BBC TV (1970) of Boult conducting the LPO. Richard Baker is the host.

Obviously I paid great attention to the performance of the "Shropshire Lad" Rhapsody, but particularly because of the faults. Butterworth never produced a set of Somerset folk-songs (Baker) - they were Sussex folk-songs, but Boult is clearly wrong-footed and blusters his way through it. Also, the Rhapsody doesn't quote "several" of the Housman songs. Mainly one (Loveliest of Trees) with a tiny phrase from With Rue My Heart Is Laden.

Wonderful stuff, though, and a reminder of what a priviledge it was to have Richard Baker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlIz-P-kdhE&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR3j-oDJEFg6XwP6QyaGn7MCgO3OoyAyxZATWHIyL62TFjlAltHcjERvHLc

[LMcD]

He can also be seen introducing a live performance of the 'War Requiem' shown on BBC tv in 1964. conducted by the composer.
I simply went to iPlayer then clicked on 'Arts' followed by 'War Requiem'. It's also available on operamusica.com. (Sorry, I'm rubbish at links!)