Princesses needed no tips for piano duet, composer says

The Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte needed no direction for their piano duet at Kate’s Christmas carol concert and were already “so good”, the composer of the piece of music has said.

Mother and daughter sat side-by-side for the poignant performance, which was aired as part of the ITV1 screening of the Together At Christmas concert on Christmas Eve.

Scottish composer Erland Cooper said it was “such a surprise” to discover the pair would be performing his piece Holm Sound and to be invited to Windsor Castle for the filming of the segment.

He told BBC Breakfast: “I’d had a chat with the princess earlier in the year and I knew she enjoyed playing this piece of music with family.

“It was a big surprise to be invited to Windsor Castle just last week and hear it performed by a pair of princesses.

“I didn’t need to give direction, they were so good.”

He added: “Performing in front of a film crew and the person who wrote the music is a nerve-wracking thing for anybody, I’m sure.

“They played it several times and then they asked me to have a wee go as well and I gave a few pointers. But I didn’t need to. I think I was there as a cheerleader.”

He described Charlotte as “very confident”, adding: “She played it really well. She plays it so beautifully.”

For the past five years, Kate has staged her celebration of Christmas, and at the inaugural event she surprised audiences by accompanying singer-songwriter Tom Walker on piano as he sang his Christmas song, For Those Who Can’t Be Here.

For her latest performance, which was pre-recorded last week so did not feature at the live event, the princess played Cooper’s piece using only her left hand, while Charlotte played with just her right in Windsor Castle’s Inner Hall.

Cooper, originally from the Orkney Islands, said the music was originally written for his mother – also called Charlotte – and is about motherhood.

He said: “This is the wonderful coincidence, it’s about how we see our parents in our children’s eyes and but then when you look at your mother and you look at granny, you see your children. It’s about that sort of full circle moment and it’s about motherhood.”

The princess and her daughter have enjoyed playing the piece together at home, and as they performed, footage was shown of guests arriving for the carol service – with the Prince of Wales and Kate watching as their children tied paper chains bearing their names on a “Connection Tree” outside Westminster Abbey.

The princess also narrated the letter that accompanied every order of service, where she reflected on the Christmas period that reminds us “how deeply our lives are woven together”.

The pair clearly enjoyed performing together, smiling at each other, and it is understood Kate wanted to include the musical element in the carol service to highlight her belief in the importance of connections – as mentioned in her letter.

During the carol concert, Chiwetel Ejiofor read the famous festive poem A Visit From St Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore, which begins with the lines: “Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”

Kate Winslet delivered a heartfelt reflection on the meaning of love at Christmas, telling the carol service it can “light up the world around us”.

Among the congregation were Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton, her brother James Middleton and wife Alizee Thevenet, Zara and Mike Tindall, the Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Michael of Kent, who arrived in a wheelchair.