STEVE TYLER; HURDY GURDY, GOTHIC HARP

Steve Tyler has toured nationally and internationally with Daughters of Elvin since 2001. He is a member of folk groups The Wendigo, Magpiety and is the other half of medieval duo Misericordia.  He was recently featured on the Early Music Show, Radio 3 with Nigel Eaton. This summer he toured with John Swayne to France making an appearance at Anost Hurdy Gurdy Festival.

   In 1993 Stephen Tyler began playing the hurdy gurdy, adding this instrument to the sound of the recently formed medieval music ensemble Misericordia, which he founded with Anne Marie Summers. In 1996 they joined with melodeon player Julian Sutton to form The Wendigo, playing their own compositions inspired by the traditional dance music of central France. It was with two such pieces that Steve, with Anne Marie, won first place in the competition for duets at Saint Chartier festival in 1999, playing hurdy gurdy and bagpipes.
In 2001 he joined medieval music and dance theatre group Daughters of Elvin for their spectacular medieval circus show "Garden of Earthly Delights", commissioned by the National Trust, and continues to play with them.
With these bands he has travelled and performed throughout Europe and recorded numerous CDs, most recently "Passion, Pestilence and Polyphony" comprising music and song from the fourteenth century, with Misericordia.
In 2006 he was featured on Radio 3's Early Music Show on the hurdy gurdy, along with Nigel Eaton, and played at Anost Fete de la Vielle with Jon Swayne and Becky Price.
He is currently recording a second CD with Daughters of Elvin and working on his own compositions, some of which involve obscure rhythms and multitracked hurdy gurdies with diverse other instruments.