Handel's Semele, Royal Festival Hall

The audience's favourite at the Cardiff Singer of the World competition earlier this year was soprano Louise Alder, who carried off the audience prize, and who was also named best young singer at the International Opera Awards. Her performances since have shown why, and you can catch her in operatic form here.

She takes the title role in Semele, an opera that once vanished, and which is now one of the composer Handel's most loved works.

In this concert performance with the sprightly Orchestra and Choir of the Age of Enlightenment, Jupiter is sung by James Way, with Catherin Wyn-Rogers as the jealous goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter. Juno exacts her revenge by encouraging her earthly love rival to ask to see Jupiter in his godly form. But so dazzling is he, that poor Semele shrivels to ash.Only her unborn child Bacchus survives as her hedonistic heir.

When it was first performed in 1744, some, like Handel’s librettist for Messiah, Charles Jennens, were scandalised by the overtly sexual context. But what was the composer to do with the story of a mortal, social-climbing princess seduced by the mighty Jupiter? Nevertheless, he hastily toned down some of the racier sections.

The opera is famous for the aria 'Where’er you walk', for the hilariously sleepy character Somnus (Brindley Sherratt), who has to sing one of the lowest notes in the operatic repertoire, as he plunges back into unconsciousness, and for terrific choruses.

Don't miss this chance to catch one of the best new singers. She lives in Frankfurt now, and every London appearance is worth making a bee-line for.