Halle Loughran years on record

[EdgeleyRob]

Artistic - a stylised genre work, no? Fantasist?

https://www.amazon.de/Symphonie-Fant.../dp/B00B5S2BC6

I was young

[Conchis]

He followed Barbirolli - which is a bit like going on after Hendrix or the Who.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

He followed Barbirolli - which is a bit like going on after Hendrix or the Who.

... or after Toscanini (as did Loughran's predecessor at the Hallé when in the States). Loughran did a superb job - excellent, impressive and constantly dependable Musicianship; far better than several more famous names around in the '70s & '80s.

[cloughie]

I suspect we are already reaching the limit of JL's not terribly extensive discography.

There was of course that version of Havergal Brian's Tenth.

Yes, but a great shame so much of it is not currently or indeed has ever been on CD!

[Petrushka]

He followed Barbirolli - which is a bit like going on after Hendrix or the Who.

Wasn't Maurice Handford Barbirolli's immediate successor for a while until Loughran's appointment?

[Once Was 4]

I may be wrong but I do not think so. Maurice was one of Barbirolli's two Assistant Conductors (the other being Lawrence Leonard) but I do not recall him continuing into the Loughran era (which is when I was a regular deputy and extra at the Halle). Maurice was a superb horn player and musician - a sadly underated conductor who never achieved the recognition that he deserved but also an extremely difficult man and those of us who played for him regularly have very mixed memories of him. Sad.

[EdgeleyRob]

I remember an LP,Halle Encores,which I'm sure was conducted by Maurice Handford

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I remember an LP,Halle Encores,which I'm sure was conducted by Maurice Handford

Two of 'em, Edgey (Vols 1 & 2) and a "Hallé Christmas". (A Carmina Burana, too.)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/40320-Encore-Orchestra-Maurice-Handford/dp/B005454B42

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Halle-Encore-Vol-Orchestra-Handford/dp/B0052WST9K

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carl-Orff-Armstrong-Manchester-Orchestra/dp/B009NRTVUQ

http://covers.discorder.com/fullsize/front/0724357579728.jpg

[EdgeleyRob]

Two of 'em, Edgey (Vols 1 & 2) and a "Hallé Christmas". (A Carmina Burana, too.)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/40320-Encore-Orchestra-Maurice-Handford/dp/B005454B42

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Halle-Encore-Vol-Orchestra-Handford/dp/B0052WST9K

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carl-Orff-Armstrong-Manchester-Orchestra/dp/B009NRTVUQ

http://covers.discorder.com/fullsize...4357579728.jpg

Yes,thanks ferney,vol 1 was the one I had and come to think of it the Christmas one too.

[mikealdren]

Loughran was at the Halle in the early 70s when I went to university in Manchester. We were all very disappointed after Barbirolli's untimely death and we were never very appreciative of him. Of course we were poor judges at that age.

[Hornspieler]

I may be wrong but I do not think so. Maurice was one of Barbirolli's two Assistant Conductors (the other being Lawrence Leonard) but I do not recall him continuing into the Loughran era (which is when I was a regular deputy and extra at the Halle). Maurice was a superb horn player and musician - a sadly underated conductor who never achieved the recognition that he deserved but also an extremely difficult man and those of us who played for him regulalrly have very mixed memories of him. Sad.

I was at school with Maurice Handford.

He was very good looking and also a fine hornplayer, but he was also a conceited bully and had very few friends amongst his peers.

He assumed the conductorship of the school's ATS Band and so began to take an interest in conducting.

After National Service in the RAF Central Band, he joined the Hallé orchestra as 3rd horn but was almost immediately promoted to 1st horn when Denis Mason, son of Jock Mason whom I played alongside with a lot in the BBC "Unit" was sacked for drunkeness. (Mason was almost immediately tken into Beecham's RPO as 3rd horn in Dennis Brain's section , but continued to drink and failed to appear at an important session - which was how I found myself, at the age of 18 as a regular deputy with the RPO.)**

Anyway, Handford cosied up to Sir John and soon became Assistant Conductor, so it was logical for him to take over the conductorship when Sir John died, but since he was disliked for his conceited behaviour by his colleagues as much as he had been at our school, he did not last long and then was appointed as Professor of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music.
(If you know anyone who was a student there at that time, ask them what they thought of him. I think I know what sort of answer you might get!)

I last saw Maurice when he conducted the CBSO when I was doing a spell as 1st horn (See "Hornspieler and the 3 B's")

He had a row with the 3rd horn and pointed out that he used to be a horn player, but he used to occupy that chair (indicating me).

I cannot resist quoting the reply from my colleague:

..."Yes, I heard about that. But you never filled it the way he does!

Handford died, like so many musicians, of liver failure.

A succesion of conductors tried their luck, but it was not until the arrival of Sir Mark Elder that the orchestra settled down into a coherent unit again.

In the words of one of the old sweats: " eeh! t'would never av doon for Sir 'amilton!"

HS

**(If you are interested in knowing the circumstances of how that happened, PM me with your email address and I will reply with a copy of "Bravo Maestro" as an attachment)

[Conchis]

I was at school with Maurice Handford.

He was very good looking and also a fine hornplayer, but he was also a conceited bully and had very few friends amongst his peers.

He assumed the conductorship of the school's ATS Band and so began to take an interest in conducting.

After National Service in the RAF Central Band, he joined the Hallé orchestra as 3rd horn but was almost immediately promoted to 1st horn when Denis Mason, son of Jock Mason whom I played alongside with a lot in the BBC "Unit" was sacked for drunkeness. (Mason was almost immediately tken into Beecham's RPO as 3rd horn in Dennis Brain's section , but continued to drink and failed to appear at an important session - which was how I found myself, at the age of 18 as a regular deputy with the RPO.)**

Anyway, Handford cosied up to Sir John and soon became Assistant Conductor, so it was logical for him to take over the conductorship when Sir John died, but since he was disliked for his conceited behaviour by his colleagues as much as he had been at our school, he did not last long and then was appointed as Professor of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music.
(If you know anyone who was a student there at that time, ask them what they thought of him. I think I know what sort of answer you might get!)

I last saw Maurice when he conducted the CBSO when I was doing a spell as 1st horn (See "Hornspieler and the 3 B's")

He had a row with the 3rd horn and pointed out that he used to be a horn player, but he used to occupy that chair (indicating me).

I cannot resist quoting the reply from my colleague:



Handford died, like so many musicians, of liver failure.

A succesion of conductors tried their luck, but it was not until the arrival of Sir Mark Elder that the orchestra settled down into a coherent unit again.

In the words of one of the old sweats: " eeh! t'would never av doon for Sir 'amilton!"

HS

**(If you are interested in knowing the circumstances of how that happened, PM me with your email address and I will reply with a copy of "Bravo Maestro" as an attachment)

Fascinating. You make him sound like a deeply unattractive personality.

A lot of conductors never achieved their potential because of 'personal issues' (the name Wyn Morris also springs to mind).

[Barbirollians]

Loughran had a hard time following Barbirolli no doubt but judging by Michael Kennedy's book on the Halle he did a pretty good job . Skrowacewski however appeared bored and produced very routine performances on his Sheffield appearances and Nagano did not seem to hang around long . I agree that the long tenure of Mark Elder has done the Halle no end of good .

[Stanfordian]

Loughran had a hard time following Barbirolli no doubt but judging by Michael Kennedy's book on the Halle he did a pretty good job . Skrowacewski however appeared bored and produced very routine performances on his Sheffield appearances and Nagano did not seem to hang around long . I agree that the long tenure of Mark Elder has done the Halle no end of good .

Hiya Barbirollians,

I first started attended classical music concert at the Halle duringthe time of Loughran's tenure. Although I attended the Free Trade Hall fairly regularly I enjoyed them but didn't find him particularly inspirational and looking back upon reflection they were generally routine affairs.

I recall they used to play the National Anthem at the start of each Halle concert. One evening one chap didn't stand up for the National Anthem and someone behind him tried to pull him to his feet. I was quite perturbed by this scuffle a most unsettling way to start to a concert.

[Conchis]

Hiya Barbirollians,

I first started attended classical music concert at the Halle duringthe time of Loughran's tenure. Although I attended the Free Trade Hall fairly regularly I enjoyed them but didn't find him particularly inspirational and looking back upon reflection they were generally routine affairs.

I recall they used to play the National Anthem at the start of each Halle concert. One evening one chap didn't stand up for the National Anthem and someone behind him tried to pull him to his feet. I was quite perturbed by this scuffle a most unsettling way to start to a concert.

Unfortunately, we can look forward to a return of this behaviour (the puller up, not the sitter) in the time to come....