The composer of a piece performed by the Princess of Wales and her daughter, Princess Charlotte, has spoken movingly of witnessing their "incredible bond" during a private rehearsal at Windsor Castle.
A Personal Invitation to Windsor Castle
Kate Middleton personally requested award-winning composer Erland Cooper to attend as she and her ten-year-old daughter played his composition, 'Holm Sound'. The special performance was recorded for the Princess's fifth annual 'Together at Christmas' carol concert, broadcast on ITV1 on Christmas Eve. The event at Westminster Abbey celebrated hundreds of community heroes.
Erland Cooper, 43, from Orkney, is renowned for music inspired by nature. He expressed his surprise and pride at the invitation. "It was such a treat, such a lovely, warm and inviting day," he said. "I'm used to rambling around the ruins of the Orkney Islands, but to go to Windsor Castle itself was a slightly different architectural wonder."
A Shared Love of Nature and Music
The collaboration began when the Princess of Wales, who has played piano since childhood, first wrote to Cooper to express her admiration for his work and his dedication to celebrating the natural world. This resonated deeply with Kate, who has credited immersion in nature as part of her recovery from cancer treatment last year.
Through their correspondence, the future Queen revealed she had been teaching Charlotte his compositions at home, strengthening their mother-daughter bond. For the concert, she asked Cooper: "Would it be okay if we perform this piece of music that we so enjoy together?"
"It was such a lovely request," Cooper recalled. "I was invited to witness this incredible bond between mother and daughter performing together and for that I am so grateful." He noted a "wonderful bit of serendipity," as the piece was composed and dedicated to his own mother, who is also named Charlotte.
A Poignant Performance and a Unique Artistic Philosophy
Describing the performance itself, Cooper praised Princess Charlotte's skill. "She played beautifully, she really has a wonderful way of playing the lighter notes just beautifully," he said. He viewed his role as offering "a little bit of encouragement" to the pair, who were performing in front of a film crew and the composer himself.
Cooper's unique approach to art was also highlighted. In 2021, he buried the only master tape of his first classical album, 'Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence', in Orkney's peaty soil as part of a "compose, decompose, and recompose" process with nature. The soggy tape was later found by fans, and the album became a number one classical record in the UK in 2024.
Reflecting on the royal performance and his inspirations, Cooper said: "I merely tap into the energy of the natural world... It's the life blood of my work. We all have this incredible connection to the natural world and I find it so warming that the Princess of Wales has found solace and such comfort in nature." He concluded that the duet was "a very special, sort of quiet moment" and a definitive highlight of his winter.
