“We love working with Anna. She is practical, enthusiastic, hugely creative, 100% reliable, and respects everybody she works with, at all levels. I think, as a photographer, the ability to go ‘unnoticed’ when snapping such close and personal shots of artists, is an amazing skill. Anna can do just that.”

Boy was I happy last year with every shoot I was able to carry out under the Covid restrictions. This was no exception - a two-day event in October 2020 for the London International Festival of Early Music.

I had shot this yearly festival (a homage to early music) at London’s Blackheath Halls and the beautiful church of St. Michaels and All Angels in 2019, when, of course, the public could attend and everyone could enjoy the fair and the music live.
This time, I was part of a privileged few who got to enjoy the music live along with the film crew and event organisers, but the recordings were pieced together and then streamed for the online festival event in November.

Over the two days, I photographed the behind the scenes story of the making of this special Covid19 Festival, some portraiture of the artists, and the live performances as they were played and recorded. Some from overseas like Vienna were live-streamed in the vestry.

Incredibly talented and some very famous musicians at the top of their profession in attendance including harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani and a very special and beautiful performance of a new piece by composer John Paul Jones (legendary instrumentalist of Led Zeppelin) - The Tudor Pull - celebrating the river Thames which a week later was featured on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

A memorable, moving and joyful two days of shooting in an extraordinary year.
To see the individual images, just click on any thumbnail and use the arrows.