Continuo player

Nick Houghton is an experienced continuo organist and harpsichordist. He has played with orchestras including the English Chamber Orchestra, Hanover Band, London Mozart Players, Sussex Baroque Players, London Concertante and many other orchestras both ‘period’ and ‘modern’ and plays regular engagements in London and Sussex.

In addition to playing continuo, Nick can supply (and tune) his own Goetze and Gwynn chest organ, a beautiful 17th century style instrument with pipes that are copies of an original north German organ built by Arp Schnitger, the great builder of J.S.Bach’s era. The 8′ and 4′ Flutes both have a beautiful sound, a touch stronger than most English style chest organs. And with the 2′ Octaaf it is strong enough on its own to support a chamber choir. It is ideal therefore for all Baroque continuo work including Monteverdi, Gabrieli, Schutz, Purcell, Vivaldi, Handel, Bach and on into the Classical era, with works by Haydn, Mozart and Schubert.

The organ can and has been used for the occasional more modern piece in programmes that are otherwise mainly Baroque. However, as with all such portable chest organs, it has a single keyboard and no pedals, so it is not suitable for major solo organ accompaniments e.g. Dvorak Mass in D or Faure Requiem.

Nick also owns a Bizzi harpsichord which, like the chamber organ, is available for hire either with or without Nick as player.