11.05.2011 11:56
What's on?: Counterpoint

Do you know who wrote the music of the Disney films 'The Jungle Book' and 'Mary Poppins'? Or what nationality the conductor Nicholas Harnoncourt is? Or to whom Mozart dedicated his String Quartets nos. 14 to 19? If you like questions like these, then 'Counterpoint', a weekly music quiz where members of the public compete to become Radio 4's musical mastermind, is the programme for you.

Now in its 25th series, Counterpoint has been running for nearly 25 years and has the Radio 4 Monday lunchtime quiz slot. Each week three members of the public compete over three rounds or movements as they are called. In the first round, each contestant is given five questions, two of which are introduced by a musical extract – so it's a music quiz with music! The second round is a specialist round on subjects as diverse as 'Beethoven's piano sonatas', 'Paris' or 'Gilbert and Sullivan' who wrote popular 19th century comic operas. The final round is an open one, where the contestant who buzzes first, gets to answer.

Originally hosted by Ned Sherrin, Counterpoint is now in the hands of Paul Gambaccini. He tests the contestants' knowledge of a wide range of musical genres, from core classics and opera, to pop, jazz, rock, and film and stage musicals. The winner of each round goes forward to future rounds, so that at the end of each series there is a Counterpoint champion.

To tune in to this week's Counterpoint just click here:

and see if you can beat the contestants. It's broadcast on Monday afternoon at 1.30pm (UK time) and is repeated on Saturday evening at 11.00pm (UK time).

And the answers to the three questions posed at the beginning? - Dick and Bob Sherman; Austrian; Haydn.