King Charles praises Regina musician's coronation song

Jeffery Straker has had many career highlights, but a recent thank you from King Charles may be at the top of his list.

Straker, a Saskatchewan singer-songwriter, was in the midst of a three-week tour of the United Kingdom earlier this month when he received an email from Saskatchewan's Lt.-Gov. Russel Mirasty.

Mirasty informed Straker that his most recent album, Great Big Sky, had made its way to Buckingham Palace and King Charles had given it a listen.

"It kind of stopped me in my tracks. I sort of knew a CD had made its way, but I didn't know where it had gone," Straker told the Morning Edition's Stefani Langenegger.

WATCH | Regina musician who wrote song for King Charles is moved by his reaction:

King Charles praises Regina musician's coronation song

8 days ago

Duration 2:09

Jeffery Straker wrote the song "Better Than What We Found" to mark the King's coronation last year.

One song in particular, Better Than What We Found, struck a chord with King Charles.

"I really wrote it for him. It was a song for him and that's what was the most staggering about it, that he actually heard it," Straker said.

"I was moved by it. It was really something."

Straker wrote Better Than What We Found after being asked to perform at coronation celebrations on May 13, 2023, at Government House in Regina.

"It's a hard task to write a song to celebrate the start of something, 'cause you can't go through the list of things that have been accomplished," Straker said.

He eventually decided on a song that encourages all people to do their best and leave the world better than they'd found it.

"When it was done, the lieutenant-governor did a presentation and he sort of leaned in and said, 'I'm going to Buckingham Palace next week, I'm going to tell the King about this song. I really like it.'"

Mirasty wrote a letter to the King this August explaining the context behind the song and enclosed a copy of the album, according to Caroline Speirs, Mirasty's executive director and private secretary.

Ralph Goodale, the high commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom, was visiting Saskatchewan and planning a trip to London that fall. He promised to hand deliver the letter and album to Buckingham Palace.

"We didn't have to send it through the mail or anything," Speirs said. "The high commissioner took it in his suitcase."

The Morning Edition - Sask10:50Saskatchewan artist gets Royal stamp of approval for coronation song

Saskatchewan musician Jeffery Straker has performed inside grain elevators, alongside symphony orchestras and now he can add gaining a royal fan as a career highlight. We hear from him about getting a message from King Charles.

Straker said the King sent his thanks in a letter he wrote to Mirasty in October.

Speirs read the pertinent part of the letter for CBC.

"I was delighted to receive your most thoughtful gift of the CD Great Big Sky by Jeffrey Straker," it said. "I was touched to learn that the song Better than what We Found was commissioned for the coronation celebration at Government House in Regina. It was so very good of you and Mrs. Mirasty to have organized such a wonderful event to celebrate the coronation. Please do convey my very best wishes to Jeffrey Straker for a successful tour."

Straker said receiving the thank you was special.

"He signed it warmest, sincerely, Charles R., for Rex, which was really lovely," Straker said.