At the weekend, Sir Mark Elder handed over his baton as the conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester. It was a truly stunning concert, and Sir Mark asked us to “treasure this great orchestra” and to “shout their quality from the rooftops”. So I am doing just that via the (Manchester) Guardian. Thank you for the music, Sir Mark.
Christine Walters
Buxton, Derbyshire
• Re the obituary of Paul Gross (Other lives, 15 May), I was the Rakes’ agent in the 1970s, with the folk revival at its height. They could easily have had a full diary if they didn’t have full-time jobs. They loved the music, they loved playing together, and I loved working for them. A trio of gentlemen.
Jane Barton-Winder
London
