A group of 20 musicians gathered on an Edinburgh beach to perform a socially distanced piece of live music as a reminder to "the world that we’re all still here".
Harpist Esther Swift composed The Call especially for her friends to play as part of the Hidden Door Live projects - she wrote the score in response to a year of restrictions which saw live music and performance brought to a halt.
Among the instruments on Seafield beach earlier this month were violins, bagpipes, flutes, percussion, cellos, saxophones, and even an alp horn.
In order to help everyone perform together, Esther used three specially-made flags to conduct the musicians, who were all standing ten metres apart.
The score is available for free from Esther, who hopes others around the world will hear The Call and be inspired to perform their own version in reply. The full performance on the beach at Seafield, Edinburgh is also now available to watch online.
Esther said: “The past year has been a challenge for us all in so many ways, but one thing that has kept me going is music and the promise of being able to make music with my friends again.
“In creating this project I wanted to proclaim to my friends around the world that I’m still here, we’re all still here.
“Though we are behind closed doors we have not forgotten each other, and we still strive to connect with each other, to hold rituals together, to call to each other in whatever way we can, from wherever we can.
“I can’t tell you how special it was to be able to get together and make music together after so long, and to feel the energy on the beach bright and early that morning.”
