Nicholas Houghton
Conductor, organist and harpsichordist, Nick is a full time freelance player, accompanist and choral director.
Having begun his musical career at the age of seven as a chorister at Coventry Cathedral, Nick studied organ with David Lépine, Robert Weddle and Nicholas Kynaston, and music at Bristol University. He has held a variety of teaching posts, including five years as Head of the East Sussex Academy of Music in Lewes.
Nick has been conducting choirs for over forty years, Currently, he is Music Director of the Lewes Singers, the East Sussex Community Choir, the Brighton Singers and the Brighton Orpheus Choir. He is also Chorus Master for New Sussex Opera. Since 2012 Nick has been the Organist and Director of Music at St. Michael’s in Lewes. He is a founder member of Consonus Barque.
Stuart Deeks
He is grateful for teachers - Trudi Lambert, Viennese emigre, Alan Wilkinson at Christs Hospital school, and Manoug Parikian, Armenian emigre. He values what he learnt as 'apprentice' to Alfred Deller, singer, Alan Hacker, clarinet, Duncan Druce, violinist, and Jennifer Ward-Clarke, cellist. Acknowledgements to them all. From them an example to play music from the most ancient to the most recent.
Student at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Diverse freelancer based in London, then student and practitioner of homoeopathy for some years.
Always an interest in what it is to make music with others, and a delight in teaching and encouraging others in their playing together.
He is a founder member of Consonus Baroque.
Robert Goodman
Robert Goodman studied the modern flute at the Royal Academy of Music with Sebastian Bell, and at other points with Susan Milan, Geoffrey Gilbert and Philippa Davies.
He gave his Southbank debut at the age of 19 and his concerto debut at St. John’s Smith Square the following year. He gave the UK premier of the Stockhausen cadenzas to Mozart’s G major flute concerto, which was chosen as pick of the week in the Sunday Times
He specialised in contemporary classical music and worked with many living composers, including Tippett, Weir and Birtwistle. He has also taught extensively, most notably at Goldsmiths College and Morley College.
He has had a lifelong passion for the music of JS Bach and baroque music in general, and has more recently turned his attention to the flutes of the baroque era, enjoying discovering the sounds and techniques of the period. He is a founder member of Consonus Baroque.
Ben Hess
Benjamin Hess was born in the UK. After studying 'Cello for four years with Emma Ferrand and Steven Doane at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, Ben went on to gain a Master's degree at Trinity College of Music, London, where he was awarded first prize for Solo String Playing. Since 1997.
Ben has been working as a freelance musician, enjoying solo engagements, chamber music and theatre. As well as working with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Ben has toured Europe and Scandinavia performing solo suites by Bach and Britten, performed musicals in the West End, been guest principal cellist for orchestras at home and abroad as far as Bahrain.
He was invited to international festivals in Greece and South Africa to perform piano trios. Current chamber music projects include the Luneray Quartet. He is a founder member of Consonus Baroque.
"...I remember vividly the highly effective music he composed for that group [English Eurythmy Theatre], as well as his stunning performance of Kenneth Leighton's Sonata for Solo 'Cello, which he later recorded in the USA. I know Ben to be an inspired and inspiring performer."
Neil Mackay, Music Critic (The Guardian)