The Halle Orchestra is Britain's longest established professional symphony orchestra. It was founded in Manchester in 1858 by the pianist and conductor Charles Halle and gave its first concert at the Free Trade Hall on 30 January 1858.
The Free Trade Hall was recognised as Manchester's leading venue for classical music. Elgar’s First Symphony was premiered there in 1908. The Halle stopped playing at the Free Trade Hall in July 1996 and has moved to its new home in the Bridgewater Hall.
	The Sex Pistols played an infamous early concert at the Lesser Free Trade Hall (Manchester) on June 4th 1976. Infamous, but not because of rioting crowds or lightning from the sky - "There were only 27 people, and basically we all sat there, individually spread out over this room, just with our mouths open." says Tony Wilson.
The concert changed peoples' perceptions about music - no longer did you have to be talented to play in a band, punk was the very antithesis of highly crafted musicanship. Many many other famous names have appeared at the hall, including Bob Dylan, Shirley Bassey, Ella Fitzgerald and Captain Beefheart.