Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London

Tonight the Proms rerun an operatic competition of 1701, with the audience as jury. The sopranos Emma Kirkby, Evelyn Tubb and Sarah Pendlebury sing Venus, Pallas and Juno respectively in each of the settings. Mercury and Paris are sung by bass David Thomas and tenor Howard Crook (Purcell), tenor Paul Agnew and baritone Stephen Varcoe (Weldon) and tenors Andrew King and Rufus Muller (Eccles).

Consort of Musicke Concerto Koln led by Werner Ehrhardt, directed by Anthony Rooley
Daniel Purcell The Judgment of Paris (staged)

7.50 Nicholas Kenyon talks with Anthony Rooley, Peter Holman and Professor Curtis Price about the original competition of 1701 and the composers involved.

8.15 John Weldon The Judgment of Paris (staged)

9.05 John Jacob examines the myth of the Judgment of Paris and looks at some of the paintings it has inspired, with Richard Jenkyns, Nicholas Penny and Alistair Smith.

9.30 John Eccles The Judgment of Paris (staged) (In association with Virgin Classics)

(See David Gillard, right)