Robert Beale is the music critic for the Manchester Evening News, UK.
'... (an) excellent biography ...a fascinating read that is anything but dull.' The Delian 'Beale's comprehensive and thoroughly researched biography sheds new light on Halle and the musical life of nineteenth-century Manchester. With his painstaking research, he presents the most complete picture of Halle and a richer understanding of his failures, his successes, and the problems he faced. Even more, this study fills a large gap in the growing research on the evolution of the modern orchestra and concert life in Great Britain and beyond.' NABMSA Newsletter 'Beale's contribution to our understanding of not just Halle's career but also the working conditions of his 'band' is strong in its careful analysis of data. This is a useful book which adds to our understanding of Halle's dual-marketplace career and enduring legacy.' Journal of the Society for Musicology in Ireland