I HAVE read with interest John Pettitt’s review of the Hallè’s recent ‘celebration’ concert in St George’s Hall – ‘Very special’ show to mark 150 years (Keighley News, March 26).  It was remiss of both Bradford Council and the Hallè not to make more of a song and dance of this landmark anniversary.

Sir Mark Elder might have simply forgotten to mention it, but neither was there any reference in the printed concert programme, a less excusable omission.

And I must puncture Bradford Council’s oft-repeated claim (reported in the previous week’s Keighley News) that St George’s, which opened in 1853, is “the UK’s oldest operating concert hall”.

Both Birmingham Town Hall (opened 1834 for the Birmingham Triennial Musical Festivals) and Glasgow City Hall (opened 1841 and now the home base of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra ) are illustrious operating concert halls. Both halls have recently been handsomely refurbished.

However, the oldest operating concert hall in the UK is Oxford’s Holywell Music Room which opened in 1748.

Bradford Council should have checked the facts more carefully before making such an extravagant claim.

GEOFFREY MOGRIDGE Leeds