John's passion for communication has not stopped with his books. For several years he has hosted a series of talks (which he prefers to call exposés) that combine his own personal knowledge and enthusiasm with the talents of live musicians who play abridged versions of Beethoven's works. Initially it began as a series of promotional after-dinner talks, but friends suggested he hire a piano trio and enlarge his speeches into an evening's entertainment. With the help of a theatrical producer, they eventually developed into the Last Master series that frequently tours Britain to sold-out houses. 'Some of the people who come to my shows are real Beethoven fanatics and probably know more about the music than I do, and when you see that someone recognises the piece about which I am talking, it makes the show all the more worthwhile.'

He is philosophical when considering that some go to his performances not because they want to know more about Beethoven, but because they are intrigued by his celebrity status. 'There is an element of "let's go along to see that bloke off the telly", and although that might seem a little soul-destroying, quite a lot do go away and start listening not only to Beethoven, but also to a whole range of other classical music.'

He talks with a mixture of delight and eagerness when he discusses his audiences; always slightly aghast by their response to his passion, he looks forward to live performances with more enthusiasm than when he appears in front of a television camera in his hundreds of yearly newscasts. 'Some people would have a fit of nerves if they had to read the news live, in front of millions of viewers. I don't have too much of a problem with that, after all, it's only a piece of glass. However, walking out onto a stage and looking at two or three hundred faces is very daunting. But I love it - it's great to feed off live audiences - at times the atmosphere is electric, especially when I realise that they are enjoying themselves as much as I am!' Perhaps there is something of the thespian in him after all.