Richard Balcombe

Smell the greasepaint and feel the blaze of those Broadway lights, as the BBC Concert Orchestra whisks you away for a night at the musicals. The toe-tapping favourites include songs from musicals including South Pacific, My Fair Lady, Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun and High Society, all performed by the ever-versatile BBC Concert Orchestra – and some special guest soloists.

This concert is a wish come true for Helene Fischer: the singer presents her personal selection of German and international Christmas songs in the atmospheric ballroom of the Vienna Hofburg. Her guests and partners are the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from London, one of the world's most renowned symphony orchestras, and the Vienna Boys' Choir, among others. It took two years to prepare this concert. The program includes classics such as "Merry Christmas Everywhere", "Ave Maria", "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" and "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht". There are also contemporary songs such as "In der Weihnachtsbäckerei", "Last Christmas" and "The Power Of Love".

Half-fae-half-mortal shepherd Strephon wants to wed shepherdress Phyllis, but, although she reciprocates his feelings, she has a dilemma — she is so beautiful that all of the House of Lords, as well as her guardian, the Lord Chancellor, are also desirous of marriage. Performed by the Carl Rosa Opera Company in August 2007.