A trip to Devon in 2016 had me spend a morning in the streets of lovely Totness. Late Spring sun and good fortune were my companions on that day. Turning a corner, I was drawn to the sound of mellow music playing. And that was my introduction to a remarkable musician and his passion for the Lithophone.

Close up to my, always-ready, pocket camera, musician/craftsman, Tony Dale willingly offered me an impromptu résumé of an instrument entirely of his own devising and something of his past association with creative Will Menter and the North Wales based, C​â​n Y Graig music project.

To the student documentary-maker, this delightful happenstance is, surely, an example of "the best camera that you'll ever have -is the one that was with you at the time". (mine was a Panasonic, TZ40 shirt-pocket compact!)

n.b.
My first encounter with this family of instruments was on another of my away-day visits -this time to the Lake District. There, in a folk museum, I saw and touched -and almost got to play- what must be the grand-daddy of all of the genus zylo bongo.
Learn more of this one (with a recital that includes "Men Of Harlech", thrown in!) at http://www.sonicwonders.org/musical-stones-of-skiddaw/

Also known as the "slate marimba" or "llechiphone" there's more to learn:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophone
http://www.sonicwonders.org/musical-stones-of-skiddaw/
https://willmenter.bandcamp.com/album/c-n-y-graig-slate-voices