It's time again for the annual Kathleen Ferrier Awards, with the semi-finals being held on Wednesday afternoon and the finals on Friday, both at the Wigmore Hall (a few tickets still available).
The centenary of Kathleen Ferrier's birth is marked with a particularly strong line up - a number of worthy potential winners there.
There was also plenty of talent jostling for the prizes twenty years ago, when BBC2 devoted a Late Show special to the contest. The picture above may look like an album cover, but in fact it's the young Alice Coote and Ian Bostridge awaiting the jury's final vote. Their fellow competitors included other singers who've gone on to establish successful careers, including Gwyn Hughes-Jones, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Catrin Davies and Claire Bradshaw.
Some kind person has uploaded the whole show to YouTube, and it's well worth a thorough viewing by anyone interested in singing (or indeed in Laura Ashley frocks and dodgy 90s hairstyles)
Part 1 - includes interview with Dame Janet Baker about Kathleen Ferrier and background to the contest. Alice Coote rehearses:
Part 2 - includes interview with Ian Bostridge, then a 'Television Researcher':
Part 3 - competition footage, including an audience comment from an uncredited Sally Burgess:
Part 4 - more compeition footage, including Alice Coote, and results announced:
Part 5 - Janet Baker explains why they chose the winner:
