.jpg?width=1200&auto=webp)
London has so many orchestras that there’s little room for orchestras from elsewhere in the UK. The BBC Proms (which kicked off its 2024 season over the weekend) filled in one of the gaps on Sunday, welcoming the Hallé from Manchester.
The conductor was Mark Elder, who is drawing to the end of his remarkable 24-year spell as the orchestra’s music director. When he took up the post, there were some who thought, condescendingly, that the Hallé was just a little provincial. No longer. It’s not all down to Elder but he has guided the orchestra through an era of prolonged excellence.
