Talks and Tours

Author Steve Marshall is available for specialist talks and tours of Avebury.

For more information, please contact: mailstevemars@gmail.com

Sound On Sound

In 1988 I worked for a few months as a composer in the famous BBC Radiophonic Workshop. On the 50th anniversary of its founding I wrote a feature about the Workshop for Sound On Sound magazine.   RADIOPHONIC WORKSHOP

The article above features Daphne Oram's bizarre 'Oramic Synthesiser' which was played by drawing shapes on sprocketed film. I wrote a further article about this, based on my interview with Graham Wrench, the electronics engineer who developed the Oramic system with Daphne.    ORAMIC SYNTHESISER
 

Overtone Singing

For many years I have practised overtoning - singing two notes simultaeously by altering the shape of my mouth to amplify individual harmonics. I have combined this with my love of acoustics by recording in many different interesting spaces. Twenty or so of these can be seen on my YouTube channel:   steve321mars

More Stuff

I was born in Hull, UK and my first professional job in music was with the Hull Truck Theatre Company, which I joined in 1974 as a teenager. Hull Truck was founded by Mike Bradwell, whose  brilliantly funny book about it all 'The Reluctant Escapologist' is highly recommended. (Yes, I'm in it).     THE RELUCTANT ESCAPOLOGIST

The aerial photos of Avebury featured in my book were taken from a tethered helium balloon, since drones were not powerful or affordable enough in 2011. A couple of friends helped to make a short video of the first weekend of shooting.  At the end we went to the pub and shared the helium with some bikers...    BALLOON PHOTOGRAPHY

Fortean Times

For many years I have written articles for what has been described as "the most interesting magazine in the world". Here are a few of my favourites.

CHIMING IN   Gary Kvistad is a pro percussionist and the founder of 'Woodstock Chimes'. He talks about his work with magical harmonics.

THE SACRED YEW   All about yew trees.

MISTLETOE   All about mistletoe.

JOHN MICHELL   In 2009 FT produced a 12-page tribute to the great English writer and mystic. It was intended to be a celebration of his life and work, but John sadly died just as it went to press and it became an obituary. Included is my interview with John - the last he ever gave.

ALTERNATIVE 3   Very funny account of a notorious TV sci-fi spoof.