09/09/2022
Did you know that the King of England is a former cellist!?
Charles, The Prince of Wales is a long-time supporter and patron of the arts world, with patronages at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, Royal College of Music and beyond.
And it all stems, it appears, from his early years spent going to the ballet with the Queen Mother – and playing in the cello section of his university orchestra.
While modestly describing himself as “hopeless” at the cello, His Royal Highness recalled in a radio podcast diligently practising Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in his bedroom, ahead of a performance with the orchestra of Trinity College, Cambridge.
“I loved playing in the orchestra at Trinity – albeit rather badly,” he admitted. “I remember playing in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and trying to practise in my room at Cambridge to an old record conducted by Herbert von Karajan, who was the great conductor in those days, in the sixties.
“There was me sitting with my cello and my tuning fork, and I put this thing on, and of course he took it at an incredible lick – you’ve no idea how fast!”.
Alongside his cello endeavours, the Prince of Wales learned to play trumpet and piano as a child, making his public debut aged 15 as a trumpeter in St Giles’ Cathedral, playing with the 80-piece orchestra at his school in Gordonstoun, Scotland.
“I find the whole experience of being with the orchestra or listening to it in a wonderful great hall, I mean it is extraordinary because the sound completely surrounds you and there is nothing to substitute for that I think,” the Prince has said of his music-making experience.
“It’s that wonderful sensation of being part of an immense whole.”