Amid the excitement and energy of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Live Music Now Scotland is delighted to partner with Just Festival to offer a series of free lunchtime concerts at St John’s Church — a serene cultural refuge right in the heart of the city.
A Moment of Calm in the Festival Buzz
As the city hums with activity, St John’s Church on Lothian Road invites audiences to pause and reflect through music. These concerts, running from 1–2pm on four occasions in August, provide a chance to slow down and reconnect with beautiful live performances that inspire and uplift.
Four Exceptional Lunchtime Concerts
This year, four carefully curated concerts feature some of Scotland’s finest emerging musicians:
Fri 1st Aug: Mary Reid – Harp
Fri 8th Aug: Amy Strachan (soprano) & Daniel Silcock (piano)
Mon 18th Aug: Resol String Quartet – The Mystic Ring (following their open workshop at Lauriston Castle)
Fri 22nd Aug: Katy Bell – Cello
All concerts are free and unticketed — simply drop in and enjoy.
A Partnership Rooted in Shared Values
Festival Director Miranda Heggie at Just Festival shares her enthusiasm for the collaboration:
“Since I took up the role of Festival Director with Just Festival in 2022, I’ve been delighted to work in partnership with Live Music Now. As we’re both organisations with social values at our core, working together has always felt like a natural fit. Each year, musicians from Live Music Now have brought uniquely and carefully crafted programmes designed around Just Festival’s theme. This year, the festival is focusing on faith and spirituality in Edinburgh, and I’m so excited to discover how Live Music Now’s musicians have interpreted this, and to hear how their personal spirituality is reflected through music.
Just Festival is blessed to have St John’s Church as our home, which is situated on the corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road – one of the busiest intersections in Edinburgh – and naturally attracts many visitors, especially during the festival period. These concerts are always free of charge, giving anyone who needs or wants to experience excellent live music the opportunity. Many people who are familiar with either the work of Just Festival or Live Music Now make plans to come, but at least fifty percent of most audiences are people, often visitors to the city, who stumble across the performance and end up staying until the end. It feels very special that in the tumult of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Just Festival, St John’s Church and Live Music Now can work together to provide a space of welcoming, contemplation and joy for anyone who passes, regardless of their religious or spiritual beliefs.“
Join Us for This Special Festival Series
Whether you’re seeking a peaceful pause from the festival rush or simply love discovering inspiring live music, these lunchtime concerts offer the perfect opportunity. Come along to St John’s Church on Lothian Road — no tickets required — and experience a moment of connection and joy through music this August.
For full event details, visit: https://www.just-festival.org/2025-events/
Exploring The Mystic Ring: A Baha’i-Inspired Musical Journey with Resol String Quartet
This year’s Just Festival programme features a special workshop and performance of The Mystic Ring, a captivating string quartet by composer Carolyn Sparey-Fox, whose Baha’i faith profoundly inspires her artistry.
On Sun 17th Aug, join us in the lecture room at Lauriston Castle—part of Museums & Galleries Edinburgh—for an open workshop with the emerging Scottish ensemble Resol String Quartet, as they explore Carolyn’s first string quartet ahead of their performance at St John’s Church on Monday 18th August.
The Mystic Ring is a heartfelt tribute to Bernard Leach, the great English potter and influential pioneer of twentieth-century craftsmanship, who was also a practising Baha’i. Each of the five movements reflects different aspects of Leach’s life and work—from an intimate portrait to a musical interpretation of the potter’s craft in action.
This workshop and concert continue the rich partnership between Just Festival and Live Music Now Scotland, who have collaborated closely over several years to bring meaningful music experiences to audiences across Edinburgh and beyond.
