While Scottish Opera languishes, the Welsh National Opera thrives artistically. What’s the difference? “It is simply the fact that good-quality opera is not something that can be done cheaply and cannot be done with uncertainty over year-to-year financing, which is what we have had. In opera, we have to think at least three years ahead when we book people and organise our events. When we don’t know from year to year how much money we are going to have, we can’t plan properly. In Wales, they make it a priority.”