Princesses Kate and Charlotte have ‘an incredible bond’, says composer – as mother and daughter perform piano duet at Together at Christmas carol concert

The composer of the musical piece played by the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte on Christmas Eve has spoken of the ‘incredible bond’ between them.

Catherine was joined by her 10-year-old daughter for a special joint piano performance to launch the Together Christmas carol concert, which aired on ITV1.

He asked creator Erland Cooper to accompany him when he performed his song Holm Sound at Windsor Castle earlier this month.

After witnessing mother and daughter sharing the stage together for a joint performance, she said: ‘It was so beautiful. I guess I was there to offer some encouragement. So, imagine someone performing a piece of music in front of a film crew, who then writes it.

‘Princess Charlotte played beautifully, she has a really wonderful way of playing the lighter notes so beautifully. So we were able to celebrate together.

‘This is definitely one of my favorite winter solstice moments. Entering the castle, being greeted by a Steinway grand piano and then being treated to a truly moving recital and performance.

‘It was a very special, quiet moment. ‘There is power in reaching people and they did that here.’

The award-winning composer and producer from Orkney, Scotland, has been called ‘one of the most unique, consistently engaging composers of his generation’ and is known for drawing inspiration from nature and connection in his work.

Mother and daughter played the song Holm Sound by famous composer Erland Cooper

The whole family attended the carol service at Westminster Abbey earlier in the month, on December 5th.

Speaking about his shared passion for the natural world with the princess, which is considered a hallmark of immersion in nature in her recovery from cancer treatment last year, Erland said: ‘It was such a pleasure to be with Her Royal Highness, it was such a beautiful, warm and inviting day. It took me completely by surprise.

Erland Cooper composed this piece with his own mother in mind.

‘I’m used to rambling through the ruins and caves of the Orkney Islands, but going to Windsor Castle was a slightly different architectural marvel.’

Erland, 43, wrote his classic work in 2020, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, inspired by the wild environment of the Orkney islands.

The Princess of Wales, who has been playing the piano since the age of 10, first wrote a letter to Erland expressing her love for his music and thanking him for his dedication to promoting the beauty of the natural world through his art.

Through text exchanges, the future queen revealed how much she enjoyed teaching Charlotte her compositions at home, creating a special bond between them.

Planning to create a special moment as part of the fifth annual Together at Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey, celebrating hundreds of community heroes, the princess requested to perform one of her favorite tunes with her daughter as part of the telecast on ITV1 on Christmas Eve.

‘I am always in the minds, hearts and backyards of others. In this situation, I often think that this little piece of music lands on your shoulder like a bird,” Erland said.

‘And when you write a piece of music and share it with the world, you kind of let it go, you let it go, and you have no idea how far it can fly. So it’s always a big surprise when people write to me or call me, and this was one of those big surprises. ‘I never expected this.’

Kate and Charlotte performed the stunning piece in the inner hall of Westminster Castle last week

Erland Cooper said Charlotte played the lighter notes particularly skillfully

Composer adds Kate and Carlotte share ‘incredible bond’

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Erland, who described this moment as a ‘wonderful coincidence’ after first composing the piece for his mother Charlotte, said: ‘We had a very warm, creative conversation earlier in the year, it was very pleasant and then resulted in an invitation to Windsor Castle. The princess asked: “Is it okay if we play this piece of music that we enjoy so much?”

‘It was a very nice request so I said there was absolutely no problem. I was invited to witness this incredible bond between mother and daughter performing together and for that I am so grateful.

‘And there’s a wonderful coincidence that the piece was composed and dedicated to my mother, also known as Charlotte, as they didn’t know it was about motherhood and how family plays such an important role in all of this.

‘The Princess and I have a kind of shared love of music that celebrates the natural world, its rejuvenation and the wonder that you know comes from it. ‘There is so much joy, warmth, creativity and ideas surrounding these themes.’

Combining field recordings with traditional orchestration and electronic elements in his work, Erland is known for burying the only copy of his first classical album as part of his ‘return to the natural world’ process.

Prince William made a speech at the ceremony

Princess Charlotte in concert with Prince Louis and Princess Kate

Hundreds of community heroes commemorated at Westminster Abbey

The royal ceremony was broadcast on ITV1 on Christmas Eve

In 2021, after deleting all digital copies of his composition, he placed the master tape in peaty soil in Orkney, along with a “cheap violin”, the original score in a biscuit tin and a note to be returned to the sender if found.

Erland posted clues on his website, but said that if no one could find it, he would find it himself and release the music in 2024, no matter how much the record changes.

The score was discovered by two fans who found a reel of wet magnetic tape buried in Stromness and returned it to him.

The album, titled Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence, later became the classic number one album in collaboration with nature, topping the official UK charts in 2024.

Erland added: ‘I just tap into the energy of the natural world and I’m so grateful for that. He is a constant source of inspiration. This is the lifeblood of my job. The idea behind my first piece was to compose, parse and then re-compose.

‘The finished piece will be a collaboration with Mother Nature. ‘We all have an incredible connection to the natural world and I’m heartbroken that the Princess of Wales has found solace and such comfort in nature.’