Alfred Matthew Hale (1875-1960) was an amateur composer. Born in Reading on 21 Nov 1875 into a wealthy family, he grew up at 'Claverton' in Stoke Bishop, near Bristol and attended Uppingham School and St John's College, Oxford. He later lived in the village of Rake, near Petersfield, Hampshire. He was the son of the watercolour artist William Matthew Hale (1837-1929) and a nephew of William Jerdone Braikenridge (d 1907), son of George Weare Braikenridge (1775-1856), onetime owner of the 'Braikenridge' manuscript, now [GB-Ob] MS. Tenbury 1486.

A prolific composer, Hale took lessons from J.W. Lawson, organist of St Mary Redcliffe, and Percy Buck, then organist of Bristol Cathedral, and later studied with R.O. Beachcroft. Being of private means, he was able to indulge his interests in music and watercolour painting without the need to earn a living. A concert of Hale's orchestral music was held at the Queen's Hall, London on 28 Feb 1912, conducted by Sir Henry Wood, and a work of his was performed at the Promenade Concerts in the same year. From 1917 to 1919, he served as an officer's servant in the Royal Flying Corps. He died on 12 Jan 1960.