It was a shock to learn that Sir James Galway’s recent appearance at the BBC Proms was his first there in over a decade.

“The living legend of the flute”, as he describes himself on his website, once seemed to be ubiquitous.

Belfast-born Jimmy, as he’s irreverently known, played Mozart’s Flute Concerto in D, K314 at the Proms, a work he will repeat when he headlines this year’s Music in the Abbey festival at Dorchester.

How, I ask festival founder and director John Lubbock, did the Galway invitation come about?

“I was sitting outside the Henley Hawks Rugby Club, where my son plays. Jimmy called me on my mobile about somebody he knew who has an autistic son [John Lubbock also has an autistic son]. We had a good chat about this and that, and suddenly at the end of the conversation he said [and here John switches into a strong Belfast accent]: ‘Why don’t you employ me any more?’ “I replied: ‘Because you’re too jolly expensive!’ He said: ‘Don’t be ridiculous, make me an offer’. So I made him a ridiculous offer, and lo and behold, here we are. He’s coming in September to do six concerts with us, then another four in December. It’s very exciting to rekindle the relationship: we did a lot of concerts together in the 1970s and 80s. I suppose we worked with him every year for about 15 years.”

Sir James must have played ever-popular works like the Mozart concerto and Bach’s Suite No 2, which he is also playing at Dorchester, a thousand times. How, I ask him via email to his Swiss home, does he keep his performances fresh?

“It’s an interesting question. I guess it has something to do with never stopping learning, never failing to play with a good projected tone or with a good finger technique, and with having a fresh conception of the piece, every time you play.”

Sir James will be accompanied by his wife Lady Jeanne, who is also a flautist, and they will be playing some pieces together.

How did they first meet, and do they always agree on how a particular piece of music should be interpreted, or are there ‘spirited discussions’?

“I first met my wife at a flute seminar in America” Sir James replies. “To answer your question, we hardly ever disagree on anything, let alone music. We very rarely have ‘spirited discussions’, as you put it very tactfully.” John Lubbock also has a musical partnership with his wife, Christine Cairns, who teaches budding opera stars at the Birmingham Conservatoire. She has her own evening at the Dorchester festival, featuring her award-winning pupils. So, as festival director, does John perhaps like to stick his oar in, and have ‘spirited discussions’?

“I leave it all entirely to her,” he laughs. “Unless it’s something like the Mozart Requiem, which we’re performing on the Sunday evening: one of her girls is singing the arias, and also some Bach arias on the Saturday with Jimmy playing flute obbligato. But otherwise it works every year: she’s got some wonderful pupils, and she’s very good at putting a programme together.”

Music in the Abbey runs at Dorchester Abbey from September 6-9. Full details and tickets at www.osj.org.uk or call 0845 680 1926.