The Hallé Orchestra in the First World War

Abstract At the outbreak of the First World War the Hallé Orchestra was entering a new phase. The retirement of Hans Richter as its Principal Conductor in 1911 had led to the appointment the following year of Michael Balling, a German who, like Richter, was associated with the Bayreuth circle. Although Balling had clear ideas as to the direction in which he wished to take the orchestra, the declaration of war against Germany in 1914 made his continued tenure impractical. Although the outbreak of war in 1914 initially appeared a major blow to the orchestra’s fortunes, the engagement during the war years of a number of interim conductors, not least Sir Thomas Beecham, ultimately enabled the Hallé’s programming to expand beyond its hitherto rather German-heavy repertoire. It also provided openings for women, previously unrepresented in the orchestra, to take the places of absent male players, thereby setting a precedent would ultimately to lead to women being offered permanent contracts. Sources in the Hallé Orchestra’s own archives and those at Manchester Central Library shed light on the issues faced by the Hallé Concerts Society in maintaining the orchestra’s important contribution to the musical life of Manchester during the war years.