Tom Walker has praised Kate Middleton as a ‘really talented musician’ after she joined him for a surprise performance on Christmas Eve.
The singer, 30, and the Duchess, 39, joined together to perform his song For Those Who Can’t Be Here for ITV’s Royal Carols: Together At Christmas.
Speaking on Wednesday’s episode of Lorraine, Tom said: ‘She’s fantastic, a really talented musician. We had a top secret rehearsal to make sure we were compatible, it was at Metropolis Studios.’
Skilled: Tom Walker has praised Kate Middleton as a ‘really talented musician’ after she joined him for a surprise performance on Christmas Eve
The musician told how the collaboration came about after Tom met the Duchess at a charity event last year.
At that event for The Forward Trust, a London-based charity that helps people with drug and alcohol dependence, Tom played ‘Leave a Light On’ – a song about the struggles of those experiencing addiction.
The singer was then approached to play for the carol service, with Kate having come up with the idea of accompanying him on the piano after music brought ‘great comfort’ to her during the lockdowns.
Tom said: ‘We did a charity event together and got chatting and I was approached after that to ask if I could play the carol service.
Performance: The singer, 30, and the Duchess, 39, joined together to perform his song For Those Who Can’t Be Here for ITV’s Royal Carols: Together At Christmas
‘The Duchess’ team asked if she could join me on piano for the concert live, incredible.’
Tom added he is looking forward to the year ahead and will be going back on the road in the coming months.
He said: ‘I’m back in the studio first thing next week and a tour at the end of the year so I’m excited. It’s exciting to know things are hopefully going to be starting up soon.’
The Duchess was said to be ‘quite nervous’ during her first rehearsal ‘because she hadn’t played with another musician in a very long time’, reported Mirror Online.
Tom said: ‘She’s fantastic, a really talented musician. We had a top secret rehearsal to make sure we were compatible, it was at Metropolis Studios’
Tom said the pair had to sit on opposite sides of the room to practice the emotional performance due to Covid.
He told MailOnline the whole plan was ‘very, very secret’, adding that they were both scared of messing it up.
While Kate has played the piano since childhood, the type she was practicing on, which would be the same one used in the performance, was different to hers at home, so she had to get used to it, revealed Tom.
He said: ‘We rehearsed the song like nine times and by the end of it she’d absolutely nailed it, and then she went away for a couple of days and practiced it, and then we finally got to do the recording of it.’
Grateful: The musician told how the collaboration came about after Tom met the Duchess at a charity event last year
Practice: The Duchess was said to be ‘quite nervous’ during her first rehearsal ‘because she hadn’t played with another musician in a very long time’
Dreaming: Tom praised her for having ‘absolutely smashed’ the performance, adding that it was a ‘crazy pinch yourself kind of day’ for him
He added: ‘I think we were both really nervous that it wasn’t going to go quite to plan and one of us would let down the other person or whatever, but she was absolutely fabulous – she smashed it.’
The song was written by Tom for ‘anyone raising a glass around the table remembering those who can’t be with us’ this festive season – as hundreds of thousands of people are set to spend Christmas Day in self-isolation with COVID-19, while others think of members of their family and friends they have lost to the virus or other causes.
Tom described the Duchess as a ‘lovely, kind and warm hearted person’ and praised her for having ‘absolutely smashed’ the performance, adding that it was a ‘crazy pinch yourself kind of day’ for him.
Thankful: Tom previously expressed his gratitude to Kate for the opportunity and the success that the song has had since her contribution
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