Manchester's famous Halle Orchestra has had to turn down a tour of the United States, including a gig at the Lincoln Center in New York, because of visa regulations requiring the 85-member orchestra to go to the US embassy in London, at a cost of $8,000.
According to the Washington Post:
It was very simply money that we didn't have, [marketing director Andy] Ryans explained. "We were desperate to go to the States, but our hands were absolutely tied."
