Neil Burnett has performed and recorded with a number of artists and bands, including the Paperboys, Doug Cox, the Brothers Creeggan (Jim and Andy of Barenaked Ladies), the Widdershins, Will Millar of the Irish Rovers.  He has enjoyed collaborating with local Kamloops artists in recent years. 

Neil plays the Celtic harp, Irish flute, tin whistle, the bodhrán (the traditional Irish/Scottish drum) and keyboards. He is also a composer of music for film, TV, and theatre. 

Neil has played, composed for, and recorded with the harp for over 20 years and made several busking tours through the British Isles and Europe with it.

Christina Zaenker is a cellist and singer from Vancouver who has developed her own accompanying style to add depth, texture, rhythm and harmony to recordings and performances.  She has worked with dozens of independent Canadian musicians including: Kevin Kane (Grapes of Wrath), Rae Spoon, Yael Wand, Kate Reid, Joey Only, Leela Gilday, Deandra Dey, and Linda McRae. She has recording credits on over 135 songs which are logged within the Musicians Rights of Canada recordings database. In 2012-2013 she was part of the chamber folk-pop ensemble Morlove formed by songwriters Corwin Fox and Emily Millard, and including violinist Hannah Epperson.  She has performed with the Thompson Valley Orchestra, Brandenburg Orchestra, Peterborough Symphony, and Westcoast Symphony. She is currently focused on performing with her partner Neil Burnett in their duo Crossbow, supporting the 2021 album release of long-time friend and musical collaborator Yael Wand, and performing with a new folk group (yet to be named) alongside Bernard Boulanger (Colorifics), Neil Burnett, and Andrew McIntosh.

Please reach out to us if you’d like to hire / recommend us for any events, weddings, street performances, art gatherings, or festivals!

Visit our Busk.co page to make a donation: https://busk.co/29584

2022 performances… and more to come!

• Saturday May 28 and Sunday May 29, 12:30pm - 2:30pm @ 1858 Beaulynn Place, North Vancouver. Art in the Garden produced by North Van Arts. An inspiring weekend of arts & nature experienced as a self-guided tour across 12 North Shore garden spaces. Rain or Shine!

• Tues March 22, 2022- SFU ArtsLIVE presents: Gabriel Dubreuil Band + Crossbow. @ Convocation Mall, SFU Burnaby Campus. Free outdoor show. Starts 12:30pm. Crossbow performs @ 1pm-1:45pm. Video here.

2021 performances

The pandemic limited opportunities for people to get together indoors throughout Winter and Spring of 2021, but we kept rehearsing. Then, in July some restrictions were eased, and life finally felt a little more vibrant… once we recovered from the wildfires, floods, and heat dome!

• Many thanks to Jeremy Stewart, of the White Rock Business Improvement Association, for booking Crossbow and the Widdershins for their Summer Sidewalking Arts Spectacular for three weekends in July and August. What a precious joy it was to play live music for people again!

• Christina was also thrilled to support the launch of dear friend and musical partner Yael Wand’s new album Saltwater Heartwood in July 2021. Christina performs cello and sings on 9 of 11 songs on the album, and adores performing with Yael!

  • They performed as a trio, together with bassist Alan Kerr, in Powell River at the inaugural PowTown Shakedown Festival in September. Thank you to John Taves (RIP) and the whole PowTown crew for inviting us to be part of such a special weekend!

  • Christina is featured in Yael’s new video: That Need Be Done.

• Neil and Christina have been playing with friends Bernard Boulanger (guitar, vocals) and Andrew McIntosh (bass) in the band The Widdershins.

  • Summer 2021 saw a few gigs, in White Rock and Sechelt, BC.

  • Check out a video from their set for the Sechelt Summer Music Series, performing Bernie’s song Quicksilver.

2020 performances:

• Sept 11, 2020: Outdoor concert hosted by coFood Vancouver. “Beats off Broadway” feature performers Crossbow, with guests Bernard Boulanger and Andrew McIntosh. Thank you to Earl Peach for organizing this! What a great lovely evening in a gorgeous garden. Thanks to everyone for coming out and enjoying our only live show of 2020!

2019 performances:

• BC Forestry Association AGM Awards Night banquet on Thurs Feb 7, 2019 at the Coast Hotel in Kamloops. We had a fabulous time!

• VIP lounge at TRU’s Foundation Gala on Saturday Feb 9. This year’s theme was Adventure on the High Seas. Neil and I pulled out some costumes from Neil’s closet to make us look like pirates/adventurers in billowing white shirts, capes and feathered caps. Thank you to the TRU Advancement team for inviting us to perform once again, and thank you to GK Sound for creating another excellent sonic & visual experience!

• We played two weddings in one day, on June 15, 2019 in & around Kamloops. One was at beautiful Quaaout Lodge in Chase BC, the other was at Privato Winery in Kamloops (Westsyde). Thanks to our friend Jon Treichel for joining us and adding his brilliant guitar to our performance in Chase.

2018 performances:

• Crossbow performed at the TRU Foundation Gala and the TRU Teaching Practices Colloquium (both in February) and throughout the summer at the new Downtown Kamloops Plaza, at Terra Restaurant, and at various private weddings and events throughout the region.

• Neil performed at the Barnhartvale Coffee House in November and whipped up some jigs & reels with fantastic fiddler Pat Hanley from Salmon Arm!

• We started a trio with Tomas Bijok (violin) and performed at two weddings, one of which was held at 50th Parallel Estate Winery in Lake Country, BC. What a stunning view, and yes the wine was excellent too!

2017 performances

• KAMLOOPS ARTISAN MARKET - St.Andrews on the Square courtyard, 2nd & Seymour.

  • Sat July 1, 9am -12pm

  • Sat July 29, 9am -12pm

   

• Crossbow mini-tour alongside Deandra Dey (Christina plays with Deandra too) http://www.deandradey.com/

  • Thurs July 6: VERNON, BC- at Spinners Sound Centre https://www.facebook.com/spinnerssound/

  • Sat July 8: CHRISTINA LAKE, BC- Christina Lake Homecoming Festival. Crossbow performance at Morning Market & late afternoon.

• OSPREY FESTIVAL: Sat July 22, 12:30pm Crossbow set. Event runs 10am-4pm

  • North Vancouver- Maplewood Flats --2649 Dollarton Highway. The event will feature workshops, guided walks, various speakers, live music, First Nation's knowledge sharing, children's entertainment, bird watching and food. We encourage everyone to come out!! Event runs 10am-4pm

• Downtown Kamloops, KCBIA summer music series

  • Wednesday July 19th, 11:30-2pm Lansdowne Village

  • Friday July 28th, 11:30-2pm Lansdowne Village

  • Thursday August 24th, 5:30-7:30pm near 3rd Ave

Previous performances:

2016

• 2016 Salmon Arm Roots & Blues festival.

  • THANK YOU! to Peter North and all the fantastic folks at Salmon Arm Roots and Blues fest. What an incredible festival. We had a great time!

  • Check out the Celtic workshop stage we were part of with Tiller's Folly, Harrow Fair, Tom Landa (Paperboys), Greg Spatz (John Reischman & the Jaybirds) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnE98j-TGqE and our acoustic set in the Merch tent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntcz5_Y1GTM

• Green Art Festival / Midnight Sun, Sun Peaks BC August 2016. See photos.

• Thompson Valley Orchestra, Christmas Concert- guest performers, December 2016

• Mayor's Gala for the Arts, Kamloops BC- January 30, 2016

2015

• Love L.Cohen, tribute show by BC Living Arts Society (produced by Alan Corbishley, BC Living Arts Society)- Feb 14, 2015 *Neil only.

• Mother's Day performance at Unitea cafe in Ashcroft BC, May 10, 2015

2013

• 3rd Annual International Research Institute conference, TRU - Kamloops BC, Sat July 6, 2013. Read the program here.

2012

• 2012 Arts on the Fly festival, in Horsefly BC- 2012 . Read the 2012 press release.

• ArtsWells Festival of All Things Art 2011, 2012. See the 2012 lineup here.

• Tranquille Farm Market , Kamloops concert in a Barn! with Ed Chilton & Michelle Zwolak. Read the review here.
  

THANK YOU TO THE KAMLOOPS ARTS COUNCIL! 

We are thrilled to have been awarded a $500 Grant to help us begin recording our music (EP/CD)!

http://kamloopsarts.ca/programs/grants-scholarships/?   We will be working with Mike Turner (Turner's Music Studio) as well as with our friend Jon Treichel to get some live sounds recorded at special locations in & around Kamloops.  Stay tuned!

In other news...

~Visit our TOUR page for upcoming gigs! 

~SUMMER means weddings, farmer's markets, festivals, and gatherings of friends & family.  You can always CONTACT US for rates and available dates as we'd love to bring our music to your event.

~Neil has finally SOLD OUT of his Into the Green CDs!  Thank you to everyone who has bought a copy and tells us they still play it regularly.   That means a lot! We can't wait to have something new to sell and share with you.