Julian Lloyd Webber takes exception to doom-and-gloom stories about the health of classical music. “The trouble with polemics on this scale is that they raise more questions than answers. But are things really that bad? The answer depends on your view of classical music. If you think it should remain a fossilised art that never changes its methods of dissemination or presentation, the answer is yes. If, on the other hand, you believe – as I do – that classical music is a living, vibrant art that evolves alongside society, the answer is no.”