BBC Radio 6’s Steve Lamacq this evening featured the work of Help Musicians UK on his programme. A study for the charity had revealed that whilst mental health problems might affect 20-25 per cent of the general population, among musicians it is 69%. Reasons cited for a level of incidence that was three times higher than that among the general population included working alone, long hours, life on the road, a precarious income, hostile reviews and uncertainty.

Perhaps, though, there is something deeper, perhaps the creative capacity of musicians also …