David McKenna

David McKenna, transport manager: born London 16 February 1911; MBE 1943, OBE 1946, CBE 1967; Assistant General Manager, Southern Region of British Railways 1955-61, General Manager 1963-68; Chief Commercial Officer, British Railways Headquarters 1962; Chairman of Governors, Sadler's Wells 1962-76; Chairman, Bach Choir 1964-76; chairman, British Transport Advertising 1968-81; married 1934 Lady Cecilia Keppel (three daughters); died Portscatho, Cornwall 29 January 2003.

David McKenna combined a successful career in transport, as a senior manager in British Rail, with a love of music, singing with the Bach Choir for 40 years and serving as its chairman for over a decade.

McKenna joined the Southern Region of British Railways in 1955 as Assistant General Manager, taking over as General Manager and Chairman of the Southern Regional Board eight years later. The Southern had extensively electrified its suburban system before the Second World War, and by 1962 had successfully introduced main-line electrification, first on the routes into Kent and to the Channel ports of Dover and Folkestone.

The Southern's involvement in international traffic required the closest co-operation with the French Railways, and McKenna established cordial personal relationships with his opposite numbers in SNCF. Their annual Anglo-French conferences brought together different approaches to the development of international rail traffic in the face of growing airline competition. Two new train-ferries were built, one under the French flag, and a new generation of roll-on/roll-off ferries, combining capacity for rail-sea passengers with the growing traffic in freight and tourist cars, was introduced to replace an ageing fleet of passenger ships.

In 1968 McKenna left the Southern Region to become a member of the British Railways Board. He was chairman of the Shipping and International Services Division, of the board's Design Panel, and of British Transport Advertising. He was appointed a member of the Dover Harbour Board in 1969. He became chairman of the newly-formed Intercontainer Company, a member of the board of management of the International Union of Railways and in 1972 served as President of the Chartered Institute of Transport.

David McKenna was born in 1911 in the Admiralty, in London, son of the Liberal MP Reginald McKenna, then First Lord of the Admiralty and later Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer under H.H. Asquith. His mother, Pamela Jekyll, was a talented concert pianist. The varied gifts McKenna inherited from his parents enabled him to combine his own love of music with a successful career in public life. After distinguishing himself at Eton and he went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read Engineering and Mathematics.

In 1934 he joined London Transport as a graduate trainee, and was appointed as assistant to Frank Pick, from whom he acquired a lasting interest in industrial design. In this same year he married Lady Cecilia Keppel, daughter of the ninth Earl of Albemarle. They had three daughters, who have gone on to share their parents' love of music. He was devoted to his family and took the greatest pleasure in their achievements, especially their musical successes.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, McKenna joined the Royal Engineers, Transportation Division, and after service in India and the Far East, finished with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He returned to London Transport after the war, transferring to British Railways in 1955. He was a full-time member of the British Railways Board until 1976, after which he continued as a part-time consultant (until 1980), living a great part of each year at Rosteague in Cornwall, the family home which they had bought in 1946. Here he was able to indulge his love of sailing.

David Kirby

Many professional musicians have been fascinated by railways, and many professional railwaymen have had a passion for music, but surely none more so than David McKenna, writes Sir David Willcocks.

His early interest in music was further stimulated at Eton by Henry Ley, the charismatic Precentor and legendary railway enthusiast. As well as Captain of School, Captain of Boats and Keeper of Rugby, he was Secretary of the Musical Society and won the Singing Cup. Subsequently at Cambridge he gained further experience of singing through membership of the University Madrigal Society under Boris Ord. He was later to sing madrigals with Princess Margaret at Buckingham Palace, and became President and an honorary life member of the Madrigal Society.

One of the great joys of David's life, which he shared with his wife, Lady Cecilia, was his membership of the Bach Choir over a period of 42 years. He served on the committee for 20 years and was Chairman for 12 years. During this time, the choir's activities were extended by additional concerts, home and foreign tours, and recordings. He found it refreshing, after a busy day at the office, wrestling with the problems of British Rail, to be surrounded by friends singing about "transports of delight". His musical knowledge, analytical skills, administrative experience, coupled with his wisdom and patience, made him an ideal chairman. It was in that capacity that he led the governors of Sadler's Wells for 14 years, during which Sadler's Wells Opera grew into the English National Opera.

He rendered equally valuable service to music through his long association with the Royal College of Music as a Vice-President, Honorary Secretary of the Council (1955-87) and Fellow. As a businessman he was able to advise on submissions to the then Department of Education and Science, and to assist in establishing cordial relations with the teaching and administrative unions.

Retirement to his beautiful and beloved home in Cornwall offered him fewer opportunities for choral singing, though he did sing for a time in the Three Spires Festival and in St Gerran's church choir. He had more time however for practice on his harpsichords, one of which was made many years earlier by his long-time Old Etonian friend Thomas Gaff, with whom he used to play duets.

Ever youthful in spirit, he decided in his eighties that he ought to teach himself the organ. Accordingly he acquired an electronic instrument for his home and was soon playing for services in his local parish church. Sadly he had to give up before long, owing to failing eyesight and infirmity.

David McKenna will be remembered for his intellectual brilliance, coupled with modesty; for his zest for life and sense of fun; but above all for his deep loyalty to his many friends and the institutions that he served with distinction.