The Composer

For Carlin, The Princess of Wales – Musical & Pictorial Memoir is the latest phase of a musical adventure that started as a six-year-old. The son of a symphony arranger and composer, Carlin’s childhood was characterized by an immersion in music. He began playing the cello at age six and could write musical scores by eight. Flute and piano lessons followed, and by the time he was ten, the young virtuoso was skilled on eight different instruments.

Carlin left the music industry for several years to pursue his business interests. He returned to composing music in 1999, and to begin recording his works in 2000 with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Christchurch Symphony. “It was an overwhelming experience to walk onto the stage and hear seventy of New Zealand’s finest musicians playing my compositions. The air was filled with dynamic and powerful sounds – music that had originated through my fingertips at the piano.”

Carlin began work on The Princess of Wales – Musical & Pictorial Memoir, in 2004, spending years ensuring the quality and dignity of the project.

Initial post production was completed in Christchurch, where Carlin contended with the unique idiosyncrasies of orchestral recording. “It’s quite a challenge,” he says. “Orchestras have to be recorded live, through open microphones. We had 54 very sensitive microphones set up on stage and in that environment even the slightest toe tap can sound explosive.” The mixing and mastering began in Hollywood, where Carlin worked with legendary audio mixer, Shawn Murphy (Mr. Murphy has mixed scores for over 200 films, including Braveheart, Star Wars, Titanic and Saving Private Ryan). The final digital master was recently produced with the latest technology to a very high audio standard at the Chapel Kensington Studios in London.

Design and production of the gold foil embossed – leather bound photo album accompanied by Carlin’s original orchestral soundtrack began in 2004. After extensive consideration and numerous revisions the final product was presented to the sons of the late Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry at their home, Clarence House in London.

A letter from the Private Secretary to Prince William and Prince Harry states that the Princes were “extremely touched by Mr. Carlin’s tribute to their Mother.”   View Enlargement

Carlin is pleased to be in a position to offer a share of his net profit from this project to charities that the Princess would approve of.