The Alice Martineau Appeal was founded in memory of the singer who had Cystic Fibrosis. Before Alice passed away aged 30 she had just released her debut album 'Daydreams' through Sony Records who she had recently signed to. In 2003 the BBC broadcast a documentary about Alice called 'the Nine Lives of Alice Martineau'
The Carols by Candlelight annual carol concert is held annually at St Luke's church Chelsea in aid of the Alice Martineau Appeal and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Rather than cancel the concert in 2020 due to covid restrictions, the decision was made to film the concert and stream it online.
One of the contributors in the film is the Reverend Pat Allerton who has received the nickname of both Hot Vicar and The Portable Priest. During Coronavirus lockdown he took to the streets of Notting Hill to preach the gospel as featured in the media and on TV. Pat is the cousin of Alice Martineau.
As this was shot during lockdown, the production was completed by two units. The Century 21 Films unit recorded the choir at Abbey Road Studios and the Gielgud Films unit filmed contributors at St Lukes Church, Chelsea with minimal crew under covid secure conditions. Additional contributions from the celebrity actors were recorded at home on iphones and added into the edit.