Kate Middleton Surprises the Crowd with Her Piano Skills in Christmas Concert Performance
It is well known that the Duchess of Cambridge is a keen sportswoman who enjoys spending plenty of time outdoors. But her passion for music is not something that has come to the fore in her public life as much—until now. Kate surprised viewers of the televised carol concert Together at Christmas this evening by playing the piano accompanying singer Tom Walker. A royal source said that having learned the instrument as a child, Kate played a lot during lockdowns and this “brought great comfort to her.” She approached singer Tom about the joint performance of his song For Those Who Can’t Be Here after meeting him at a charity event in October.
“The idea for the performance was the Duchess’. She was impressed by Tom when she met him and heard him play Leave a Light On—a song about the struggles of those experiencing addiction, an issue which as you know, she is passionate about—at a Forward Trust event in October,” a source said. “He was approached to play at the service, and his Christmas song, For Those Who Can’t Be Here, which has such pertinence for so many this year, also struck a chord with the duchess...Music was very important to the duchess during the lockdowns and playing the piano brought great comfort to her. She also recognises the powerful way in which music brings people together—especially during difficult times. For these reasons, she was keen to be part of Tom’s performance in this way.”
The duet was recorded in the Chapter House at Westminster Abbey the day before the carol service. Musician Tom, who won the British Breakthrough Act award at the Brits in 2019, described performing with the duchess as “a once in a lifetime experience.” He added, “I thought she absolutely smashed the performance; it's not easy to just jump behind a piano with a bunch of musicians you've never played with before and record live takes to camera, but she completely nailed it.” He described Kate as “a lovely, kind & warm hearted person,” saying she “took the time to thank everyone personally for the opportunity to play together.” “It was a crazy pinch yourself kind of day for me, to be in such a beautiful venue playing alongside the duchess with my band and a string quartet. I certainly won't forget that in a hurry! My mum had a total freak out when she saw it on the telly.”
Together at Christmas was recorded at Westminster Abbey on December 8 and broadcast this evening in the U.K. It was spearheaded by Kate as a way of saying thank you to people across the UK who supported their communities through the COVID-19 pandemic. Those invited to the event included people from organizations that have a royal patron, individuals William and Kate have met during recent engagements, and those who work in areas that The Royal Foundation focuses on. Also present were armed forces personnel involved in the evacuation from Afghanistan, young carers, and faith leaders.
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