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Village church remembers 1926 national broadcast

John Devineand
Kerry Devine,in Doddington
BBC Black and white photo of a large audience in the church pews and a choir in the choir stalls with Reverend Ridge conducting them.BBC
The BBC sent two staff members to fit three microphones for the 1926 concert, with the vestry being used as a control booth

A village church has recreated a concert that took place a century ago and was thought to be the first live outside broadcast from Cambridgeshire by the BBC.

Museum archivist David Edwards sifted through copies of the Radio Times online and was amazed to see St Mary's Church in Doddington had beaten King's College Chapel in Cambridge to the accolade.

It was featured in a programme performing Handel's Messiah on 6 April 1926, and held an Easter Sunday recreation of the choir piece to honour the anniversary.

Edwards said Reverend Richard Ridge was pivotal in the coup for a small Fenland village to attract the broadcaster to Doddington, at a time when all its radio services were national.

A black and white photo of a large group of people outside a church taken in 1926.
The Doddington Choral Society at St Mary's church in 1926, with the formidable Reverend Ridge in the centre front, arms crossed

"The BBC was only formed in 1922, so just years later Reverend Richard Ridge managed to get them here," he said.

He explained that Ridge moved in high circles and also secured an Army general to perform a dedication of a stained glass window in the church, and got the Duchess of Bedford to open a fete in the village.

"In 1938 he even advertised in the Times newspaper appealing for a new church organ and he got one, which the church still has to this day," he added.

An old cutting from the Radio Times in 1926, highlighted is a section about Doddington Choral Society.
A section of the Radio Times from April 1926, with the village of Doddington highlighted

Doddington church Reverend Mark Collinson, said St Mary's church dated back to medieval times and had been a big player in the Fenland area through the years.

"The parish had a lot of prestige, it was 38,000 acres in size and in the 1920s Reverend Ridge certainly had a lot of pulling power," he said.

Collinson said the idea to stage a recreation of the 1926 concert came after the village magazine ran an article about it, including a picture and names of the 50-strong choir.

"Local people came forward saying their relations took part 100 years ago, so that is quite some connection today."

Kerry Devine/BBC David Edwards has short grey hair and a matching moustache he has glasses on and a blue fleece with a light blue shirt underneath it, he is holding an old black and white photo of the original concert from 1926 behind him are the choir stalls of the church and a stained glass window further back.Kerry Devine/BBC
David Edwards said he became interested in researching the 1926 BBC broadcast as one of his distant relations had been part of the original choir
Sally Graham Five ladies, one man stand in a church with music books in their hands, behind them is a stained glass window and an alterSally Graham
The choir was made up of village churchgoers, including Andrew Weadon, whose grandfather was part of the 1926 ensemble
Kerry Devine Reverend Canon Mark Collinson has brown wavy hair and glasses, he has a tweed jacket with a dark green 'v' necked jumper with his dog collar beneath. To his right is a gold eagle lecturn with pews visible too and a stained glass window.Kerry Devine
Reverend Mark Collinson said Handel's Messiah was the perfect choice for an Easter concert as the piece is a celebration of hope and joy

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