The Prince of Wales has commissioned a classical piece of music to be written as a memorial to his late grandmother. Charles, a lifelong classical music aficionado, has petitioned Sir Richard Rodney Bennett to compose a song based on a Scottish folk number to honour the Queen Mum.
The Prince recently invited the composer for tea to his home in Gloucestershire to discuss the project.
"We talked about his grandmother a lot," said Sir Richard. "I wanted to know whether she had any favourite Scottish folk songs. There weren't any in particular, but it turned out that she loved Edwardian music hall songs. She used to sing them to her grandchildren as she tucked them up in bed at night."
As a result he has come up with a 27-minute piece written for cello and orchestra entitled Reflections On A Scottish Folk Song. The work is based on the traditional Ca' The Yowes (Call The Ewes) a shepherding song evoking the Scottish highlands where young Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon spent her childhood.
Charles is to preview the work next year when cellist Paul Watkins accompanied by Sir Richard on piano perform a duet of the song at Clarence House. The full score arrangement will premiere to the public in early 2006 and will feature Paul on cello playing with the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Musically-inclined Charles studied the cello in his youth, is the patron of the Philharmonia and has been recently studying how to conduct.
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