As one of the world's most renowned classical musicians, Cellist Julian Lloyd Webber is responsible for a body of work that is as bulky in number as it is exquisite in form.
Millions have enjoyed looking in at his musical journey through the decades, and of course listening to his playing.
But what's it like being the man holding the bow?
On Sunday (Feb 22) Julian will share stories and anecdotes from his time touring, recording and playing live, with a unique show at The Stables.
He will colour his words with rare video footage of him performing and talking with artists as wide-ranging as Elton John and Stephane Grappelli.
“I have gone through the old VHS tapes and pulled out some incredible stuff – things I didn't remember doing and had forgotten about, all sorts,” he tells me.
“We are going to show some very short clips, and the whole evening will be illustrated by my wife, Jiaxin, together with our piano player Pam Chowhan.
“There will be a lot of questions and answers with the audience, so it is going to be spontaneous and fun. Wavendon is the ideal place for that,” he says.
And Julian should know – he has a long association with the venue, and with the husband and wife team who founded the arts hub, Dame Cleo Laine and the late, unique John Dankworth.
“We all know about Cleo...such a brilliant voice and wonderful intimation..in fact I show a clip of working with Cleo in the show, and it is a very special moment.”
When you think of Julian, it's hard to see him any other way than seated, entwined with the Cello.
How cruel then that a herniated disc in his neck forced Julian to announce his retirement as a musician. He made the decision public last Spring. It must have been truly devastating.
“It was a very difficult time,” he says, quietly. “I had a lot of concerts coming up, and things I wanted to do, that I had been looking forward to for years.
“I had lost some power I my bowing arm, and could have gone on playing gentle cello pieces forever, but didn't want to have my repertoire completely restricted, and be thinking all the time, 'Can I do this? Can't I do that?' I either wanted to be a 100% cellist or not.
“For six months I saw lots of experts and tried to find a cure. That was the worst time – I really found that the most depressing time,” he admits.
For this tour, his wife will assume playing duties in the main, although Julian will possibly provide an encore – if someone brings a cello to the show. Seriously.
“We wont have a second cello with us, so some young cellist has to come to the show with one. Hopefully they can play a bit too, and I can give them some tips. But basically someone has to bring a cello or the audience won't hear me play!”
And this tour might well be the Julian's last: “I won't tour again I don't think, because although this is going to be fun and a celebration of music, I'm a forward looking person and there is obviously a retrospective element to this.
“I will enjoy it for now, but then I want to move on,” he says, citing an increase in his work as a conductor as one of the things in his thoughts.
With two cellists under one roof, I imagine it must be hard to escape the instrument. You can almost imagine it sitting at the dining table – the third person if you like.
“It is like that,” he agrees, “It's always there. My wife and I had started doing a lot of cello work together and recorded two CDs which I am really happy about, because if this thing had happened to me a couple of years earlier, they wouldn't be there, you know?
“We've got a lovely three and a half year old daughter, and I am really happy that when she is older she can point to those CDs and say 'That's Mummy and Daddy'. That's special.”
Classical music still has an aura of stuffiness about it – usually delivered by those who know nothing about the style.
But Julian has been - and remains - dedicated to exposing the genre to new audiences.
He was a key player on the lauded Variations album in the 1970s, which saw a working relationship between genre spanning artists including the late rock guitarist Gary Moore, and jazz saxophonist Barbara Thompson.
And he was the first ever legal busker on the London Underground (“I still have the buskers licence somewhere, I think”).
But, as with any music, you still need to sort the wheat from the chaff: “John Dankworth used to say 'there is two sorts of music – good music and bad music,' and there is an awful lot of bad classical music,” Julian says.
“There is great classical music and there is...well, s**t classical music, basically. All my career I have wanted to bring classical music to as many people as I could. Because I love it.”
And what was it that lured Julian to the cello in particular?
“..the sound, which I feel is almost like a human voice, and also the versatility of the instrument.
“When I was around 11 years of age I changed teachers and my new teacher began taking me to hear great cellists in concert, which was above the call of her duty.
"I saw all these great cellists while I was very young and was just amazed by what the instrument could do and the sounds it could make. I fell in love with it.”
Julian talks with a rare passion that makes you want to delve into the classical side, even if you know nothing about it. John Dankworth shared the trait – and exposed this hard rock fan to the world of jazz simply by exuding a love for the sounds.
It's an unkempt passion and is so honest that it makes an easy connection.
How wonderful then to learn that Julian intends to step up and get heavily involved with music education. He is the perfect candidate.
“I think there is a lot to be done, and I can offer a lot to young people who want to get started because of the experience I have.
“They really need to know what they are getting into, to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and I think it is really important to be able to collaborate cross genre now, and work with different kinds of people.”
And then?
“...then they have really got to go for it and give it everything they've got!”
To make a booking for Sunday's show visit www.stables.org or call 01908 280800.
Words: @sammyjonespress @thisistotalmk
