Lunchtime concerts every Friday, raising funds for our
beautiful 204-year-old Grade II listed building
Concert: 12.30-1.15pm - £5 suggested donation on the door - cash or card
Tea, coffee & biscuits available in the church hall from 12 noon
on a pay-as-you-feel donation basis
Our Friday lunchtime concerts are diverse - mostly classical but also contemporary, jazz and folk, with many showing off our beautiful Steinway piano.
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The performers are a mixture of top local talent and touring musicians from across the globe. These affordable concerts are the perfect way to spend your Friday lunchtimes, enjoying a rich variety of music within the reverberant walls of our beautiful Grade II listed church, with your donations helping us to maintain our welcoming sacred space in the cultural heart of the city.
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Enjoy a hot drink before the concert starts, browse our craft stall selling home-made gifts and cards to raise funds for the church, and get to know your fellow concert-goers.
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Wheelchair accessible venue.
Everyone welcome.
Listings: May - November 2025​​​​​
2nd May
Gigi and Kitty Casey, the Soprano Sisters, present a varied programme of solos and duets, featuring works by Mozart, Verdi, Humperdinck, Massenet, and Brahms, alongside selections by Fauré, Quilter, and Sondheim. Highlights include “Sull’aria”, “Barcarolle,” “Dove Sono” and “I Feel Pretty.”
9th May
Violin and piano duo Ani Batikian and Roland Roberts perform Schubert’s Grand Duo in A, Suk Four Pieces and bon bons by Kreisler.
16th May - no lunchtime concert due to The Great Escape Music Festival
23rd May
Award-winning Brighton-born siblings Berniya and Riya Hamie perform an exciting programme of piano and cello music, including pieces by Haydn and Brahms.
30th May
Soprano Mercedes Gancedo and pianist Quimey Urquiaga pay tribute to their homeland, with a programme featuring songs by Carlos Guastavino and Alberto Ginastera, esteemed 20th-century exponents of Argentine chamber music.
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6th June
Pianist Rachel Fryer presents her programme: “Piano Blues - and other colours” exploring music primarily from the early 20th century influenced by jazz and light music. Programme includes works by Madeleine Dring, Hengeveld, Coleridge-Taylor and Gershwin.
13th June
Geoff Hearn (saxophone/world flutes) and Nigel Thomas (acoustic bass) are joined by guitarist and ‘soundscaper’ Hugh Bance in what promises to be an uplifting and magical experience as they perform mostly original melodic compositions and improvisations evoking peace, tranquility, hope and joy!
20th June
Internationally acclaimed pianist Chisato Kusunoki, a graduate of Oxford University and the Royal Academy of Music, will perform works by Schumann and Prokoviev.
27th June
The LIPS Wind Quintet return to Brighton Unitarian Church for the 14th time, bringing a varied and fun programme of contemporary wind quintet music.
4th July
“Across the Pond”: Sue Mileham, soprano, Simon Madge, baritone and Zhanna Kemp, piano take you on a brief tour of American music from the days of the Pilgrim Fathers' settlement to the 20th century. A programme ranging from spirituals, classical songs, opera and musical theatre by Cole Porter, Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, George Gershwin and others.
11th July
BUC regular John Bruzon is a wonderful and versatile pianist who always presents a delightful and varied programme of piano music. This recital will include works by Scarlatti, Mozart and Liszt.
18th July
Pianist Nick Andrews is delighted to be joined by his old friend Matt Wood and his glorious Baritone voice. After many years, they will once more sing Gerald Finzi's sublime song cycle "Earth and Air and Rain" which they have both known since they were boys. There will also be some Bach I expect.
25th July
Stephen Carroll-Turner (pianist in the Kelleth Piano Trio and the Brighton Chamber Ensemble) steps out of his chamber music comfort zone for a rare solo recital of music by Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin.
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No lunchtime concerts in August - concerts will resume on 5th September.
5th September
Andrew Garrido (perhaps best-known as the pianist who learnt on a paper keyboard) returns with a recital celebrating lesser-known piano music from two of the 19th century’s best-loved composers, featuring Grieg’s Sonata in E minor, Op.7, and a selection of works by Fauré.
12th September
Clarinet Solo Project: as part of a European tour to present his new CD, Luca Luciano's programme features music by Messiaen, Vivaldi, Gershwin, Stravinsky and his own original compositions.
19th September
Local pianist Jon Byrne, as seen on Channel 4’s “The Piano” season 3, will be playing works by Rachmaninov, Scriabin, Chopin and Kapustin.
26th September
Leeds-based pianist & composer Simeon Walker returns with a selection of original compositions, drawing influence from a wide variety of composers including Chopin & Debussy, Arvo Pärt & Howard Skempton, Keith Jarrett & Bill Evans, Nils Frahm & Olafur Arnalds.
3rd October
Martin Smith (euphonium) accompanied by Helen Ridout (piano) performs music from his award-winning and multi-streamed album “The Lyrical Euphonium”, including works by Cecilia MacDowall and Antonio Capuzzi, with a touch of Elgar, Florence Price and Charles Villiers Stanford.
10th October
London-based Italian pianist Simone Alessandro Tavoni returns to Brighton Unitarian Church with a programme of works by Bach, Chopin and Schubert.
17th October
Classical elegance with a personal touch: Neil Crossland (piano) presents a richly varied programme featuring Pachelbel’s Canon (new piano arrangement), Haydn’s Piano Sonata in F, Schubert’s Allegretto, two Chopin Nocturnes and Beethoven’s iconic Moonlight Sonata.
24th October
Singer/harpist Magdalena Reising and jazz guitarist Shane Hill are Blue Café Duo. Their concert will include music from the Great American Songbook through to folk with a jazz twist and haunting originals, mainly from their latest album 'Songs from the Heart’.
31st October
Add to Jazz Playlist: The Brighton-based John Lake Quartet will take on the mantle of the Radio 4 style “Add to Playlist” music programme with a set of jazz tunes - some original, some standards - with a linked theme of composition.
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7th November
Stabilis Duo: Pianists Viola Lenzi & Isabella Gori showcase four hands repertoire, featuring original compositions and arrangements of well-known classical pieces including Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Schubert’s Fantasie, Grieg’s Norwegian Dances and Bolcom’s The Serpent’s Kiss.
14th November
Jenny McCalmont and Louise Gledhill (Sopranos) with Andrew Robinson (Baritone) and Howard Beach (Harpsichord) perform quartets, trios and duets by Handel, Monteverdi, Taverner and Purcell.
21st November
“Timeless”: acclaimed songwriter Robb Johnson and award-winning poet Roger Stevens present a set of original songs written in the style of 1940s and 50s jazz classics. Robb’s guitar and Roger’s piano will be enriched by the sax and trumpet of celebrated actor and musician Sian Allen.
28th November
Lewis Kingsley Peart (piano) presents “Impromptu”: Salon pieces from Schubert and Sibelius.
