Protos

New Horizons Music has been formed by the band members of Protos, with generous support from family and friends.  Steve Anscombe has been beavering away and blogging like fury to create an on-line home for this resurgent prog rock band.  To see what he has been up to, follow the link to www.protosmusic.net. 

Below is biographical information about the musicians who created and played the music.  As you will see, they have been busy over the years.

Stephen Anscombe

Steve Anscombe is a self-taught guitarist who eschewed the plectrum in favour of a sturdy thumb.  Adept with both acoustic and electric guitar, Steve developed a strong sound, particularly when playing live with Protos: his guitar playing gave the band a distinctly rocky edge.  After leaving Protos, he contributed to Stepping Sideways (releasing a single) and has serenaded people on the pub scene as part of an acoustic guitar duo.

He performs and contributes compositions to One Day a New Horizon and Space (and other Singles) and co-composed the new versions of Protos tracks that appear on Passing Decades.  Once called 'the most talented guitarist never to have been discovered', it seems that history has finally caught up with him.

Steve is lovingly remembered for his huge smile, patient nature and tight red trousers (for which he should surely have won an award).  Olivia Newton-John eat your heart out....

 

Iain Carnegie

Iain Carnegie is classically trained percussionist and keyboard player who also plays double-bass.....and (he claims) the ukelele!  In the 1980s, Iain played in the rock bands Nightflight and Protos and has since pursued a busy career as a producer, arranger, composer, teacher, conductor and instrumentalist.  He honed his musical skills at the Royal Academy of Music in London before taking a Masters in Music Composition.  He is now Director of Music at Reeds School (Cobham), a position he secured after taking school bands to the finals of national competitions.

Iain is a prolific worker.  He has composed pieces for the percussion syllabus of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, written scores for both the BBC and ITV, and produced three CDs of library music.  His musical 'Archie's Corking Adventure' had a run at the Royal College of Music.  He is collaborating with guitarist Gordon Giltrap on a new album and has just finished producing the debut album of singer/songwriter Joni Fuller (a member of Phil Collins' 'Little Dreams' foundation).  Lastly, he has conducted orchestras at the Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall, Royal College of Music, The Hawth Theatre and Fairfield Halls. 

He joined Protos too late for One Day a New Horizon but makes appearances on Space (and other Single) and other 'live' material.  He was both a drummer and composer for Protos and receives credits on Passing Decades for his contributions to Protos pieces "Tempest" and "The Maiden".

One of the music world's great natural talents (I'm sure he could transcribe music with one hand while carrying on a phone conversation with the other), Iain has the energy level of the Muppets' drummer Animal, but performs with considerably more panache.  He is married to Marianne and has two children: Thomas and Holly.

 

Nigel Rippon

Nigel Rippon is one of the most versatile musicians you will ever meet.  A competent keyboard player, he also plays the cello (classical and electric), electric and bass guitars.  He has made his career as a music lecturer in West Sussex and currently plays with five local bands, including Stone Cold (see www.myspace.com/stonecolduk).  As a performer, he works with the Alistair Goodwin Band (see www.alistair-goodwin.co.uk).

Nigel is the course leader (and co-author) of the BA Honours in Music Composition for Professional Media, at Worthing (West Sussex, England).  He teaches people how to write rock, pop, jazz, classical and world music to degree level, and even has a specialist course in writing for animated films.

He makes an appearance on Space (and other Singles) playing live and has credits for two compositions with Protos.  At gigs he tended the microphone between tracks, became adept at repartee with the audience after starting to introduce himself as 'Aloisius Gruntfuttock'.  That says a lot about Nigel.  Sometimes he stuffed a sock down his trousers to enhance his attraction to female fans (yes, it worked).  A decade later, his crop of hair became the envy of all self-respecting hippies....

Rory Ridley-Duff

Rory Ridley-Duff has been the keyboard player in three rock bands: Protos, Danzante and Sly (a "Sky" tribute band).  Initially self-taught, at the age of 19 he began formal music study at Chichester College of Technology, before specialising in orchestration and composition at Royal Holloway College (London University) in the 1980s.  He wrote most of the material for the Protos album One Day a New Horizon, then contributed to an album by Danzante (with Clive Nolan, now of Pendragon, and Martin Pyne, now of Dangerous Kitchen). 

His most recent musical offerings include a solo album of progressive rock (Passing Decades) and a collection of classical compositions (A Question of Expression).  A compilation album called Space (and other Singles) also includes Rory's solo and band compositions edited for radio transmission.  In addition to writing rock music, Rory has penned music for a children's ballet, theatre and film productions, and one musical.

Rory is best known for his casual manner, lack of dress sense, and prolific creativity (he also write books, poetry and software!).  At gigs he was often greeted by chants of "take your glasses off".  If you compare the bearded keyboard player in 1984 with the winsome face on the cover of Passing Decades, you'll wonder how anyone could look younger at 40 than they did at 20.  Marrying the lovely Caroline, and fathering Tasha and Bethany (who all make appearances on his album covers/labels) has undoubtedly helped to prolong his youth.....or maybe he's made a secret pack with the devil.

To discover Rory's other talents, have a peek at www.roryridleyduff.com and www.socialexchange.org.