Most of the orchestral concerts are in Manchester, but the Halle Orchestra has a worldwide reputation which is well deserved. The new hall has a very clear and well balanced acoustic, and an exceptional new pipe organ with a truly brilliant sound ( and trumpets en chamade!)

Halle and linked "Classical" music pages. It must seem odd, but I had my first contact with this orchestra, based 35 miles or so from my home when I was at university in Newcastle Upon Tyne. I attended my first concert as a student in 1963 or so. Since then I have been a Halle Concerts Society member. The move to the Bridgewater Hall has been very well received and audiences have been larger overall since then. Halle website here.

Events this week (from the Halle, Radio 3. Clitheroe New Season).

Regular series. Composer of the week Noon weekdays. Late Junction 10.15pm Monday - Thursday.	Saturday 20 th. 7.00 Radio3	BBC News 24 using "In the Right place" as trailer music!
Bridgewater Hall. See website. Booking see Bridgewater Hall site.	Sunday 21st	Sunday 21st 11.00pm Mixing It.
Radio 3 Radio 3 on line 9.00 am daily Mon-Fri	Monday 22nd Radio 3 on line 2.00pm	Tuesday 23rd Radio 3 on line 2.00
Clitheroe Parish Church 7.30pm Next concert Saturday April 20th. Details see below on this page.	Wednesday 24th Radio 3 on line	Thursday 25th 2 Radio 3 on line
Friday 26th Radio 3 on line 10.30pm

Events Next week, Halle, Radio 3. (From).

Regular series. Composer of the week at noon daily. Late Junction 10.15pm Monday - Thursday.	Saturday	BBC News 24 using "In the Right place" as trailer music!
Bridgewater Hall. See website. Booking see Bridgewater Hall site.	Sunday	Sunday 11.00pm Mixing It.
Radio 3 Radio 3 on line 9.00 am daily Mon-Fri This week's composer	Monday Radio 3 on line	Tuesday Radio 3 on line
Clitheroe Parish Church 7.30pm Next concert Details see below on this page.	Wednesday Radio 3 on line	Thursday Radio 3 on line
Friday 24th Radio 3 on line

Links	The Orchestra The Bridgewater Hall Dutton Labs CD reissues	The oldest UK symphony orchestra. They have had financial troubles yes, but music has always come first. The Thursday series is the main one, with concerts aimed at different client audiences on Sundays and Saturdays. The "opus" series now run to four performances of the same programme. The Sunday matinee is usually curtailed by one item.
		The Marcussen Organ. Is one of the largest new recital organs not only in the UK but also in Europe. The Bridgewater acoustic works very well with organ music. Wayne Marshall is also a formidable recitalist and some of our guest soloists such as Olivier Latry have given memorable recitals, with spectacular improvisations! The full organ sound really has to be heard. Words cannot describe it. If you get the chance to take in a recital, aim for the centre stalls area. If the roving console is used you can see just how much goes into playing a large pipe organ. The comments on Bach Trio Sonatas are very true, both hands and feet having separate lines in the music!
	One of the society CDs	The Barbirolli Society was founded with the intention of spreading the appreciation of Sir John Barbirolli. The society released a series of LP records at first, but as the LP was in decline these were poor sellers. Since the advent of the CD however, with careful work in remastering the issues have done very well indeed. Other reissues from the BBC and other archives have followed the society reissues with equal success. The regular catalogue CDs are also being reissued and repackaged. Some of the early recordings were pioneering and also had good reviews. The remastering process has often been expertly done, notably by Dutton Labs.

New Music Venture!	ALEAtronic-the Halle Orchestra's progressive new music ensemble release their debut album "First Take". On " First Take", their debut album, Aleatronic are delighted to have been working with vocalists Yvonne Shelton, Mancunian session/gospel singer, and Eric Troyer, late of Electric Light Orchestra Part II and now a member of The Orchestra. On "First Take" Aleatronic present a musical collage ranging from classical/experimental through to jazz and popular mainstream genres. From the inspiring Innocent World or the jazzy Snake to the tongue-in-cheek Imagination, there's something for everyone here. Please go the www.aleatronic.co.uk to check out sound clips and more info on ALEAtronic and their special guests
Halle Website	Re Halle website. Coincidentally this site is hosted with a company run by a colleague! The site has been re built and altered considerably, and is now on line.
Available Now!	Halle now have own record label.. New recordings are released. Many of the early ones are enhanced CD.These may not still work. Reissues have also begun, including Historical ones. A full catalogue of all Halle recordings is in hand.

Contact History

At University in Newcastle there was a series of organ recitals at a variety of venues in the city. That was when I first began to listen in earnest to "serious" music in 1963! Some of my first buys were of organ music, notably on Argo records. The Halle also figured on the Pye Label initially. A few of these recordings have now reappeared on Compact Disc. Many are reappearing in repackaged form, notably the complete Sibelius Symphony set. I recall JB saying that he found No:-4 the hardest when he came down to recording it, and consulted the old Anthony Collins set, then on the Ace of Clubs LP.

The society below is now "Music at Saint Mary's".

Clitheroe Parish Church Organ Society. The church has a very dry acoustic, but the organ is a newly rebuilt excellent, versatile instrument. The church is open from 11.00 for coffee and biscuits.The recitals begin at 11.30 and usually have a wide range of repertoire. Larger scale works are rarer, but make up half of a recital at most. CHARGES AS BELOW 2002/03 Individual concerts £5.00. Accompanied children - Free For Details, contact the Music Advisor   The Organ of Clitheroe Parish Church The instrument was built originally by Messrs Binns in 1913, and rebuilt and enlarged by Nicholson & Co. in 1961. Following fire damage in 1979 it was rebuilt by Messrs Sixsmith of Ashton Under Lyne, when the opportunity was taken to redesign and improve the whole instrument. It is now an organ of four manuals and pedals which control six departments. It was rededicated on Sunday 28th February 1982 and the opening recital by Charles Myers took place on Saturday 6th. March, 1892 Charles Myers recorded an LP on the old instrument. There are still copies for sale. CD release is not planned at present.

Saturday recital series. 2009 Recitals include:- Saturday 7th March Dr Tim Rishton (Keighley) Saturday 4th April Tom Leech (Leeds Cathedral) Saturday 2nd May Siriol Hugh-Jones (Cello) James Lonsdale (Organ) Music to include. Saturday 6th June David Houlder (Leeds Parish Church) Music to include. Saturday 4th July Graham Barber (Armley Leeds) Music to Include. Saturday 29th August Bob Marsh (Skipton) Music to include. Summer Concert 200 Saturday 28th June at 7.30 Concert 318 Music For A Summer Evening

This Page July 2000. Updated February 15th. 2009. Latest update 12th November 2021