The biennial Cardiff Singer of the World competition is esteemed in the music business as providing the most serious and significant platform for aspiring classical voices. What makes it so special? Several things. For example, for the final, Cardiff uses a judging process thought to be unique. The panel consists of four singers, one for each major vocal range. That sort of balance may be conventional, but as this year's chairman, Anthony Freud explains: 'No attempt is made to thrash out a consensus or compromise. Instead, we simply vote in secret ballot, marking the five singers of each round in their order of preference, one to five. The singer with the lowest mark wins. There's no debate, no horse-trading: each judge marks entirely subjectively, on his or her own standards. It works very well, and I think it is significant that we have never had a tie in the final.' So much for the nitty-gritty. What also distinguishes Cardiff Singer of the World is, as Freud puts it, 'the overall quality of the experience for the singers'. For their 18-minute spot, each contestant is given full orchestral rehearsal, as well as extensive one-to-one coaching. The pastoral care offered is quite extraordinary. The competition's administrator, Anna Williams, universally known as 'Mother', is ready to arrange everything from Korean and Lithuanian interpreters to ear, nose and throat specialists and ball-gown ironing.