Richard Baker - Vice-President

Richard Baker was born in Willesden, North West London, and educated at Kilburn Grammar School and Peterhouse, Cambridge.  He graduated in History and Modern Languages (French and Italian) but spent much of his time acting with the Marlowe Society and the Amateur Dramatic Club, or playing the piano for the Footlights.

After brief periods as an actor and teacher, Richard joined the BBC in 1950 as a Third Programme announcer.  Since then his broadcasting career has been marked by a number of long runs: he presented BBC Television News for 28 years, introduced the Last Night of the Proms for 32 years and chaired "Start the Week" on Radio 4 for 17 years.  Other regular commitments have included the New Year Concert from Vienna (BBC 2 and Radio 3) and The Festival of Remembrance from the Royal Albert Hall (BBC 1), as platform narrator.  Richard is also remembered for his appearances as a panelist on "Face the Music" (BBC 2), his TV commentaries on State occasions, his narration of the children's TV series "Mary, Mungo and Midge" and for a variety of BBC Radio programmes, among them "These You Have Loved", "Baker's Dozen" and "Comparing Notes" on Radio 4.  From 1995-1997 he presented "Classic Countdown" and the "Evening Concert" for Classic FM and in January 1998 returned to the BBC to present "Friday Night is Music Night" and "Melodies for You" for Radio 2, and "Sound Stories" for Radio 3.  At the time of writing, Richard currently presents "Your Hundred Best Tunes" for Radio 2.

Richard has also developed a career outside the broadcasting studios.  He is in demand for his autobiographical entertainments "Music in My Life" and "Scenes from a Second Childhood" and performs all the established narrator works including Walton's "Facade" often in partnership with Lady Walton.  Other musical partners include the Coull String Quartet and pianists James Linsey and Raphael Terroni.  Richard has often played Sullivan in his own show "Mr Gilbert and Mr Sullivan" and frequently presents Opera Galas.  Since the mid-eighties he has hosted over 50 classical music cruises for P&O Cruises.

Richard has written nine books, five of them about music, most recently "Schubert - an Illustrated Biography" (Little Brown 1997).  Two naval biographies reflect the fact that Richard served in the Royal Navy during World War II, and subsequently in the Royal Naval Reserve: he holds the Reserve Decoration.

Richard and his wife Margared were married in 1961; their sons Andrew and James work respectively in journalism and television.  Richard Baker is an Honorary Fellow of the London College of Music, an Honorary Member of the Royal College of Music  and an Honorary Member of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society.  In 1979 he was appointed O.B.E. and has received honorary degrees from the Universities of Aberdeen and Strathclyde.

Richard Baker is Vice-president of the Watford Philharmonic Society.