Eurostar at c. 10.30am from London St Pancras to Paris—by coach from Paris to Versailles—early evening lecture—Concert at the Chapelle Royale: Messiah (Handel), Harry Christophers (conductor), The Sixteen choir and orchestra, Grace Davison (soprano), Robin Blaze (counter tenor), Mark Dobell (tenor), Ben Davies (bass)—overnight in Versailles.

Guided visit of the opulent Château de Versailles—coach to Paris—first of four nights in Paris.

Morning lecture and guided visit of the Palais Garnier—afternoon excursion to Porte de la Villette to visit the Cité de la Musique concert hall, designed by Christian de Pontzamparc, and the music museum—evening ballet at the Opéra Garnier: Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky), Simon Hewett (conductor), Rudolf Nureyev (choreography), Les Étoiles, les Premiers Danseurs and the Corps de Ballet with the Orchestre Colonne.

Day 4, Christmas Day: free morning, opportunity perhaps to attend a service at Nôtre Dame, the contemporary art collections at the Centre Pompidou, or baroque art in the 18th-century hôtel particulier of the Musée Jacquemart-André—afternoon lecture—Opera at the Bastille: Ariadne auf Naxos (Richard Strauss), Philippe Jordan (conductor), Laurent Pelly (director), Orchestra of l’Opéra National de Paris. Soloists: Franz Mazura (Der Haushofmeister), Detlev Roth (Ein Musiklehrer), Sophie Koch (Der Komponist), Stefan Vinke (Der Tenor (Bacchus)), Xavier Mas (Ein Tanzmeister), Vladimir Kapshuk (Ein Perückenmacher), Diana Damrau (Zerbinetta), Ricarda Merbeth (Primadonna (Ariadne)).

Morning lecture—visit the Salle Favart at the Opéra Comique (rehearsal schedules permitting) or opportunity to visit the ever-expanding Louvre—afternoon ballet at Palais Garnier: Apollon (Stravinsky), George Balanchine (choreography), O Zozony/O Composite (Laurie Anderson), Trisha Brown (choreography), Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) (Stravinsky), Pina Bausch (choreography), Vello Pähn (conductor), Orchestra and choir of l’Opéra National de Paris, Les Étoiles, les Premiers Danseurs and the Corps de Ballet.

Coach transfer to the Gare du Nord—the Eurostar train to London St Pancras arrives c. 2.30pm.