For tonight’s Together At Christmas on ITV, the Princess of Wales personally requested composer Erland Cooper to watch her and Princess Charlotte perform his piece, Holm Sound.
The composer behind the piece of music played by the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte has spoken of his pride of witnessing their “incredible bond”. Kate was joined by her 10-year-old daughter for a special performance to launch her Together at Christmas carol concert broadcast on ITV1 this evening.
She personally requested Erland Cooper to accompany them at Windsor Castle earlier this month as they performed his piece Holm Sound. The award winning composer and producer, from Orkney in Scotland, cited as “one of the most unique, consistently engaging composers of his generation”, is renowned for taking inspiration for his melodic work from nature and connection.
READ MORE: Kate Middleton teases exciting mystery guest in exciting carol concert surpriseREAD MORE: Kate Middleton gets surprise nod from King Charles in his 2025 Christmas speech
Speaking of his shared passion for the natural world with the princess, who has credited immersing herself in nature as a marker in her recovery from cancer treatment last year, Erland said: “It was such a treat, such a lovely, warm and inviting day to be present with Their Royal Highnesses. It completely took me by surprise. I’m used to rambling around the ruins and brochs of the Orkney Islands, but to go to Windsor Castle itself was a slightly different architectural wonder.”
Erland, 43, took inspiration from the Orkney Islands’ wild environment when writing his classical piece in 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The Princess of Wales, who has been playing piano since she was 10 years old, wrote to Erland to thank him for his commitment to protecting the beauty of the natural world through his talent.
The future queen shared a special connection with the future queen by sharing her thoughts about her time teaching him his compositions at home. The princess requested to play one of her favorite pieces with her daughter on Christmas Eve because she wanted to make a special moment happen during her fifth annual Together at Christmas carol concert, which is held at Westminster Abbey.
“I’m always in other people’s heads, hearts, and back gardens.” This little piece of music “kind of landed on her shoulder like a bird,” Erland said. And when you share a piece of music with the world, you kind of let it out and let it go, letting it go without knowing how far or how wide it might fly. Therefore, it’s always a pleasant surprise when people call or write to me, and this was certainly one of those pleasant surprises. I had no idea what it would be.
After writing the piece for his mother, Charlotte at the beginning of the year, which was lovely, Erland described the event as “a wonderful bit of serendipity.” The princess posed the question, “Would it be acceptable if we performed this piece of music together that we both adore?”
I said “absolutely no problem at all because it was such a lovely request.” I was given the honor of witnessing this incredible collaboration between a mother and daughter. And there’s a wonderful bit of serendipity, as the piece was written and dedicated to my mother, who is also known as Charlotte, and how family is a significant factor in everything.
The Princess and I both enjoy music that honors the natural world, its rejuvenation, and the wonder that results from it, according to the pair. Those themes are filled with such enthusiasm, warmth, creativity, and ideas.
Erland is renowned for burying his first classical album as part of the “return to the natural earth” process, which combines field recordings with traditional orchestration and electronic elements. After removing all digital copies of his composition, he planted the master tape in Orkney, along with the original score, a biscuit tin, and a note to sender if it ever was discovered.
Erland claimed that no one would have discovered the clues until 2024, despite how little the recording had changed, and that he would dig them up himself and release the music in the same year. The score was found by two fans, who found and returned Stromness’ sagging sheet of magnetic tape.
The album, titled Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence, rose to the top of the UK’s official music charts in 2024 as a result of its collaboration with nature.
Erland continued, “I merely tap into the natural world’s energy, and I’m very appreciative of it. It is a constant source of inspiration. It drives my work from beginning to end. Composing, decomposing, and then recomposing was the theme of my first composition. A collaboration with Mother Nature would be the piece’s final product. We all have such incredible ties to the natural world, and I find it heartfelt that the Princess of Wales has found solace and comfort in the outdoors.
He said: “It was just lovely to see Kate and Charlotte performing on stage together.” I believe I was there to offer some encouragement. Imagine a person playing a piece of music in front of a production team followed by the composer. Princess Charlotte really excels at playing the lighter notes just beautifully. So we were able to share that joy with everyone.
One of my favorite winter solstice moments is undoubtedly this. a Steinway grand piano greets you at the castle before giving you a very moving recital and performance. A very special, somewhat tranquil moment occurred. Reaching out to people is powerful, and that’s what they did here.
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply