Celtic Traditions
Long before the current renaissance of interest in Celtic music, Steve Schuch and The Night Heron Consort were putting their own innovative stamp on that rich tradition.

Fusing Celtic roots with classical and contemporary influences, their music reaches audiences on many different levels. Shows feature striking instrumental pieces, humor, and irrepressible singing. Venues have ranged from colleges and classical series to major folk festivals and The Kennedy Center.
View a Quicktime Movie Clip (676K)

"Impeccable musicianship." - The Boston Globe

"Positively blew me away with their sheer beauty." - Stereophile

The Night Heron Consort is led by Steve Schuch on violin and guitar, with David Coffin on Irish whistles, concertina and bombard, David Surette on bouzouki, mandolin and guitar, and Kent Allyn on fretless bass and keyboards. Their Celtic Celebration recordings are national best-sellers on the North Star label.

Types of Programs Offered
Adult and Family Concerts
Seasonal and Holiday Programs
Workshops and Master Classes
Commissioned Work

Grant Eligibility
Partial funding is available through several sources, including the New England Foundation for the Arts and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. Please call for details.

Technical Requirements
The Consort can supply their own sound system, or provide a technical rider, as well as posters and publicity materials as needed.

Steve Schuch
Steve (B.A. Oberlin College) is an award-winning performer and composer. Classically trained on violin, he is also a gifted singer/songwriter, guitarist and storyteller. He has delighted audiences from New England to Alaska, the Netherlands and the British Isles. His musical honors include ASCAP composer's awards, Artist Fellowship Awards and five fiddling championships.

David Coffin
David plays masterfully on more than two dozen instruments ranging from whistles and recorders to shawm and gemshorn. Equally at home with an evening of Bach or sea shanties, he performs throughout New England. David also appears regularly as a featured singer and multi-instrumentalist with The Revels in Cambridge, MA.

David Surette
David is a virtuoso wizard on the guitar, mandolin, and bouzouki. He has toured throughout the U.S. and Brittany, often appearing with singer Susie Burke. Solo recordings include Back Roads and Return to Kemper. Recently David released his first Celtic Guitar book for Mel Bay Publications. For more information contact Madrina Music, P.O. Box 4225, Portsmouth, NH 03802-4332.

Kent Allyn
Kent's innovative fretless bass and piano playing has graced many artists' recordings. A highly sought after performer and studio musician, he brings a contemporary sound to the consort's arrangements. Kent teaches at Berwick Academy in Maine and performs regularly with Cosy Sheridan and Ben Baldwin & the Big Note. When not lost in some novel chord progression, Kent resides in Kittery Point, Maine, where he enjoys nature, sailing and nautical herpetology.