“A few years ago, I was in the audience for a live radio show, when the renowned American country singer Glen Campbell took to the stage. What the listeners of the programme could not have seen was his obvious confusion about where he was and what was going on, nor the gentle supportive guidance from his daughter, a fellow musician on stage. And yet as soon as he struck the opening chords for his first number, the singer came to life. He didn’t miss a beat as he gave a faultless and animated performance of one of his big hits. Just one year later, his family announced his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

This devastating condition is something that Campbell has in common with Ted McDermott, a 79-year-old man who made headlines this month after YouTube footage of him singing in his car with his son went viral. Despite the fact that Ted sometimes struggles to recognise … ”

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