Kate Middleton's piano tutor in world media glare

Daniel Nicholls taught Kate Middleton for two years

When piano tutor Daniel Nicholls began teaching an 11-year-old girl 18 years ago, he never imagined it would lead to a spot in the world media limelight.

But instructing a young Kate Middleton and composing a song for her means the Berkshire resident is now in demand in the US and Australia as well as the UK.

"It's bizarre but it's fun. There are a lot of telephone calls and camera crews," said the 46-year-old.

A Song for Kate (and William) will be premiered at a concert on Saturday.

Television crews will be filming his 73-strong choir Enharmonic perform the song in Mr Nicholls' home village of Bucklebury on 29 April, the royal wedding day.

Mr Nicholls, who has taught for 25 years, composed the duet after his wife Sandra suggested the idea on the day of the royal engagement.

Using the poems How Do I Love Thee by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning's O Lyric Love, he said the song was composed in about an hour.

"I didn't intend for it to become known," said Mr Nicholls, who has popped a copy of the song through the Middleton family's letterbox.

He said camera crews were now almost a constant presence in Bucklebury - where Miss Middleton grew up and her family still lives - and that next week he is to be interviewed by US television network NBC for its Dateline programme.

Speaking about Miss Middleton as a pupil, he said: "She was lovely, she was a normal student and very pleasant."

She gained her grade three piano and grade five theory.

Mr Nicholls, who taught Miss Middleton until she was 13 - as well as her brother James, sister Pippa and mother Carole - said: "I don't think she was ever going to be a concert pianist."

His choir Enharmonic will be premiering the song at a concert on Saturday at St Nicolas Church in Newbury in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.