The Hallé Orchestra nearly died, after 140 years of existence, when hit by a financial crisis in 1998. What led to that fateful day, not far short of the centenary of the organisation responsible for it? How could a century of achievement be threatened by such disaster. Journalist and music critic Robert Beale, a Hallé concert-goer since the days of Sir John Barbirolli, delves into over 100 years of archives of the Hallé Concerts Society to uncover the story behind the crisis.