Halle Orchestra

James Loughran, conductor who led the Hallé Orchestra and shook up the Last Night of the Proms – obituary

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James Loughran, who has died aged 92, was principal conductor of the Hallé Orchestra for twelve years, succeeding John Barbirolli; he was also a popular figure at the Proms, performing no fewer than 47 times, including five Last Nights, where he started the tradition of ending the season with the audience singing along to Auld … Read more

‘Manchester has never been a great city for opera’

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Sir Mark Elder has never forgotten his first performance with the Hallé Orchestra, more than forty years ago. “We were performing Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole,” he says with a cheerful grin, “and had just arrived at the first big explosion of energy. There was supposed to be a dramatic silence, but the side drum stand collapsed, … Read more