Silverhand's Celtic music is a unique high-energy experience encompassing traditional Irish and Scottish tunes and original songs.

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Silverhand background:

Taking their name from the legend of an ancient Irish king, Silverhand was founded in 1996 by Chris Burbick and Lisa Gorlin. Their unique blend of traditional Irish and Scottish dance tunes and original songs has made this group a favorite throughout Southern Oregon. Creative instrumental harmonies, masterful composition and tight, original arrangements form Silverhand's trademark sound.

Their style is best described as high-energy Celtic folk-rock, and their upbeat performances contribute to their popularity at events such as Cave Junction's Concerts in the Park, Blackberry Festival and Scottish New Year Feast.

Since the outset, Silverhand has captured the hearts of Celtic music lovers of all ages. In establishing and hosting the very popular Bardic Nightseries in Grants Pass, Oregon, Silverhand has also helped bring many talented musicians and songwriters into the local spotlight.

Silverhand is comprised of Chris Burbick on mandolin, Irish bouzouki, electric guitar and vocals, Lisa Gorlin, acoustic guitar, Doug Heydon, double bass and electric bass and Mike Fitch, drums and percussion.

Chris, a multi-instrumentalist and the group's composer, is just as much at home on mandolin and Irish bouzouki (octave mandolin) as the guitar. Lisa's acoustic guitar provides a bed of tightly woven original arrangements over which Chris' melodies and unusual left-hand ornamentations soar. Combined with their dynamic and versatile rhythm section, Silverhand is forging new inroads into the Celtic-fusion genre.

Silverhand headlined the Rogue Celtic Festival at the 650-seat >Rogue Theatre in downtown Grants Pass, Oregon. They have also performed at the popular Henfling's Firehouse Tavern in Ben Lomond, California, the Espresso Garden and Café in San José and the King's Head Pub in Campbell.

The group's debut CD, Silverhand, released in March 2001 to enthusiastic response, is receiving airplay on radio stations across the US and in Australia.

Silverhand is available for bookings as a duo, trio or quartet.

To Silverhand's CD Page

Silverhand Lineup:

• Chris Burbick: acoustic and electric mandolin, Irish bouzouki, electric guitar, vocals
• Lisa Gorlin: acoustic guitar
• Doug Heydon: double bass, electric bass
• Mike Fitch: drums and percussion

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The Celtic music of Silverhand provides an eclectic and satisfying journey into the realm of high-energy, Celtic Folk-Rock fusion encompassing traditional Irish and Scottish tunes and stunning original songs.

Important notice: Do not buy Silverhand CDs from Amazon.com Those sellers are fraudulent. This is the only legal place online to buy Silverhand CDs!

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send an International Money Order for $30 U.S. Dollars only drawn on a U.S. bank. We will accept cash (U.S.) but we cannot accept responsibility for cash lost in the mail.

Track List

Silverhand's Lyrics

BY THE GREEN WATER

I knew you not well, but I'd know you now

If you did not lie in a field of blood

By the green water

A battle took you from this bright world

So now you lie in a field of blood

By the green water

A fair maid came to fill her flask

When she saw you lying in a field of blood

By the green water

Her eyes grew wide and her flask fell free

When she saw you lying in a field of blood

By the green water

"Oh, father dear",she cried to me

"My true love lies in a field of blood

By the green water

"I'll drain my life here beside my love

And I'll lie by him in a field of blood

By the green water!"

"Oh daughter dear, please stay your hand

Don't drown your pain in a field of blood

By the green water

"Oh daughter dear, your life is yet young

Don't lay you down in a field of blood

By the green water!"

I ran like a falcon before the wind

When I saw her fall in a field of blood

By the green water

I knelt to the ground as the light left her eyes

Now she's joined her love in a field of blood

By the green water

Words and Music by Chris Burbick. Copyright, Phonorecording, 2001, Laughing Raven Music/ASCAP All Rights Reserved.

BONNIE WEAVER

Fine young bonnie weaver will ye weave my cloak of gold?

My head is in a fever for your hands they weave so bold

Twining flaming colors; can your fingers never tire?

Fine young bonnie weaver now ye've kindled all my fire

Fine young bonnie weaver will ye twine me in your smile?

You've snared me like a salmon, have ye fished me all this while?

In your loom of moonlight will ye weave me in your wool?

Fine young bonie weaver, now my fire will never cool

Fine young bonnie weaver will ye weave my hero's song?

Your shield is wove around me and my spear is sure and strong

Your song is twining through me and your weave it cannot part

Fine young bonnie weaver you're the arrow in my heart

Words and Music by Chris Burbick. Copyright, Phonorecording, 2001, Laughing Raven Music/ASCAP All Rights Reserved.

IN THE GROVE

In the air I see it coming

In the night I see it coming

In the moon I see it coming

In the stars I see it coming

In the sky I see it coming

Through the trees I hear it walking

Through the trees I hear it calling

Through the trees I hear it seeking

Through the trees I hear it flying

Through the trees I hear it singing

From the past I feel it rising

From the past I feel it seeking me

From the past I feel it breathing

From the past I feel it calling me

From the past I feel it living

In the grove I find it watching

In the grove I find it waiting

In the grove I find it resting

In the grove I find it sleeping

In the grove I find it dreaming

From the earth I feel it rising

From the earth I feel it stretching

From the earth I feel it moving

From the earth I feel it stepping

From the earth I feel it flying

Words and Music by Chris Burbick. Copyright, Phonorecording, 2001, Laughing Raven Music/ASCAP All Rights Reserved.

DREAMING OF THE CHASE

As I awoke on a cold and misty morning

I heard the croak above, heard the croak above

The sky was black with the wings of fifty ravens

Shadowing the ground, shadowing the ground

The land ran red like a river stained in sorrow

Crying to the ocean, crying to the ocean

The battle was waged while I lay in the green glen

Dreaming of the chase, dreaming of the chase

The flakes of sleep flew from my eyes like sparrows

With hawks on the horizon, hawks on the horizon

My love had poured for me my cups of ale

And soothed me with her smile, soothed me with her smile

The herb she hid within her gilded sleeve

She slipped it to the drink, slipped it to the drink

She took my hand and lay me in the green glen

Dreaming of the chase, dreaming of the chase

The king looked down upon our scolded faces

With fire in his eyes, fire in his eyes

My love and I no longer to remain

Among the quick and free, among the quick and free

The morrow will see us dangling in the square

Swinging side by side, swinging side by side

Never more to tarry in the green glen

Dreaming of the chase, dreaming of the chase

Ho!

Words and Music by Chris Burbick. Copyright, Phonorecording, 2001, Laughing Raven Music/ASCAP All Rights Reserved.

THE ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN

(traditional)

In the merry month of May from me home I started

Left the girls of Tuam sad and broken hearted

Saluted father dear, then kissed me darlin' mother

Then drank a pint of beer me tears and grief to smother

Off to reap the corn, leave where I was born,

I cut a stout blackthorn to banish ghost and goblin

A brand new pair of brogues, rattlin o'er the bogs

And frightenin' all the dogs on the rock road to Dublin.

Chorus:

One, two, three, four, five

Hunt the hare and turn her

Down the rocky road, another way to Dublin

Whack fol-laddie-roll!

In Mullingar that night I rested limbs so weary

Started by daylight next mornin' light and early

Took a drop of the pure to keep me heart from sinkin'

That's an Irishman's cure whene'r he's on for drinkin'

To see the lassies smile, laughin' all the while,

At me daring style, would set your heart a bubblin'

Asked if was I hired, the wages I required,

Till I was almost tired on the rocky road to Dublin.

(Chorus)

In Dublin next arrived, I thought it such a pity

To be so soon deprived a view of that fine city

When I took a stroll all amoung the quality

My bundle it was stole from that neat locality

Something crossed me mind, when I looked behind

No bundle could I find upon me stick a-wobblin'

Enquirein' for the rogue, they said me Connacht brogue

Wasn't much in vogue on the rock road to Dublin.

(Chorus)

The boys of Liverpool, when we safely landed,

Called me self a fool, Icould no longer stand it,

Me blood began to boil, for all I was a losin',

Poor old Erin's Isle they began abusin'

"Hurrah, me Soul!" says I,  shillelagh I let fly

Some Galway boys came by and saw I was a hobbelin'

With a loud "Hurray" they joined in the affray

And quickly cleared the way for the rocky road to Dublin!

(Chorus)

Silverhand's Bardic Night has its origin as an idea conceived in the summer of 1997 when Chris and Lisa first had the pleasure of attending several SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) events.

A day in the re-enacted Middle Ages unfolds like this: After the fighting tournaments, Court and the evening feast are held, the night belongs to the Bardic Circle. A fire is made and revelers gather 'round to dance, spin tales, play tunes and sing songs, all with an air of the magic of a bygone era. This lasts well into the night, often ending with a round of sing-a-longs, until all retire to their campsites.

In order to capture this revelry and introduce it to a wider audience, Silverhand launched Bardic Night at the Blue Pine Brew Pub in Grants Pass, Oregon. They had so much fun they decided to make it a regular event. Bardic Night quickly grew to be a huge success.

The Bardic Night evening typically starts and ends with Silverhand performing rousing sets of Celtic dance tunes and original songs. In between, the best local talent perform a variety of acoustic music with a Celtic and Middle Eastern flavor. The festivities are highlighted by performances of Middle Eastern Dance.

For booking information, please see our
Performance Schedule

Tim Bullard, Silverhand's favorite photographer, captures the spirit of the evening in this series. Hover over the thumbnails below to view the larger image.

Contact Tim Bullard

• 
  Lisa and Chris
• 
  Tim and Doug
• 
  Chris
• 
  Kendra and Lynnette
• 
  Judy

Back to Silverhand...background

Chris Burbick

Born Aug. 30, 1958 in Redwood City, California, and spending the bulk of his childhood in Santa Rosa, Chris was first inspired to become a musician as a result of listening to the Beatles at an early age. He began playing trumpet in school band and learned to sight-read for that instrument. After acquiring his first electric guitar at the age of 12, he began to dabble in songwriting, starting to write in earnest after graduating high school. To date he has penned over 300 songs on guitar, mandolin, bouzouki and, occasionally, whistle and keyboards. His other instruments include bass guitar, doumbek, bodhran, bowed psaltery, harp, and just about anything else he can get his hands on.

After being introduced to Irish music via the Bothy Band, Chris began teaching himself the intricate dance tunes on the fiddle, soon switching to mandolin which shares the fiddle's tuning. Utilizing years of finely honed guitar playing skills he taught himself the fiddle ornaments (full turns) on mandolin, also incorporating the Irish bouzouki into his repertoire. This unusual style of left-handed ornamentation has become his trademark and, along with Lisa's ambient guitar arrangements, sets the tone for Silverhand's unique sound. The songs he writes for the group reflect a wide variety of musical influences while retaining their Celtic heart.

Chris can also be heard laying down tasty guitar riffs in the rock group Remedy and as a regular session player at Mountain View Productions in Grants Pass, Oregon.

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Lisa Gorlin

Lisa's musical training began by ear at a very early age when her parent's took her to the symphony and the ballet at Lincoln Center in New York. It continued with her older sibling's passion for the music of the 60's and early 70's which became her passion as well. There was always live music in the house. Lisa's interest in becoming a player began when she was ten. In summer camp at the age of twelve she started playing folk songs with the basic chords. Her first guitar arrived shortly afterwards.

Starting with the folk-rock music of the era, Lisa's immersion in the blues occurred gradually, coexisting with the music of her favorite group at that time: Pink Floyd. She followed Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna around from show to show, over 30 of them, soaking up his virtuoso fingerpicking style. Lisa invented her own style, however, and began to play acoustic blues, eventually performing solo in coffeehouses and restaurants.

While in college Lisa was the booking agent for the campus coffeehouse. She went on to manage two bands, performing in one of them, and worked as a live sound engineer and concert producer. Wearing many hats, she started Laughing Raven Music in 1995, a music production company and mobile recording studio which included audio engineering, concert and CD production, promotion and music sales.

Lisa fell in love with Celtic music after listening to a CD of The Bothy Band, the traditional Irish supergroup of the 70's (Matt Molloy, Paddy Keenan, Donal Lunny, Kevin Burke, Michael O'Domhnaill, Trina Ni Dhomhnaill).

Upon discovering her knack for arranging that music she quickly adjusted her playing style to the new time signatures and everything just took off from there. She co-founded Silverhand with multi-instrumentalist and composer Chris Burbick in 1996. Their first performances were as a duo at private parties and SCA events. Soon afterwards, with the full lineup on board, they launched the extremely popular Bardic Night series of shows at the Blue Pine Brew Pub in Grants Pass, Oregon. Silverhand enjoyed a great deal of popularity in Southern Oregon and Northern California and their self-produced CD, released in 2001, garnered rave reviews and frequent airplay on college and community radio stations across the U.S. as well as in Canada and Australia. The group went on hiatus indefinitely when Chris left the band in August, 2002.

Lisa currently plays a mixture of Celtic tunes and original compositions with guitarist Larry Randall. Their originals reflect a wide range of influences including Classical, Celtic, Folk, Rock, Jazz and Blues. Lisa comments: "I still hear a whole band when I write music, so I am looking forward to having a full group again in the near future."

Lisa also teaches a drawing class, "Drawing Innovations", at the Mount Tabor SUN Community School in Portland, Oregon. Visit the activities page at Portland Parks and Recreation, the next course number TBA.

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Doug Heydon

was born September 8, 1949 in Mineola, Long Island and had formal classical training on French Horn for 15 years. After attending Buffalo State College majoring in education, art, and music, he moved to Southern California in 1972 and began playing bass in the Los Angeles area. Doug has played and recorded with many groups, most notably Byron K. Dougherty, on Fantasy Records. He was a member of the house band at the Troubador Night Club for several years and played with Best of Friends, a prominent Salsa casuals band. His favorite gig was opening for Santana at the Ontario Motor Speedway on Cinco de Mayo. He has performed with Marvin Gaye and played with Frankie Gaye, Marvin's younger brother, for one year. He has also performed with Triptych, The Heydon-MacKay Group, Alice Di Micele and Norma Frazer. Doug, who resides in Springfield, Oregon, is an accomplished luthier with over 30 years of experience.

Doug's Web Site

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Mike Fitch

Mike Fitch is probably the most versatile and in-demand drummer in the Southern Oregon area. A partial list of credits spanning over thirty years includes: Irene Farrera's Tropical Band; Uncle Chester; Continental Drift; In Flight; Heart & Soul; The Rhythm Kings; Y3K; Zydecology and Gabriel and the Technicians. Fitch has also played with prominent jazz artists Eddie Harris, Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd.

"I particularly love Latin and Caribbean rhythms as well as jazz and funk. I like playing music that makes you feel good."

John Grigsby will be substituting for Mike Fitch for Silverhand's Bay Area performances.

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John Grigsby

amuses and irritates people near him by rhythmically banging on things. Over the last 16 years, he has done so in the contexts of big band jazz, tribal opera, modern minimalism, punk rock, fire performance, and on general principles. He remains on the Burning Man Drummers Collective "Music for the Playa" (self-released, 1995, distributed by Charnel House) and RMI "Mind/Body" (Atomic Novelties,1992).

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SILVERHAND
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Silverhand Lineup:

• Chris Burbick: mandolins, Irish bouzouki, electric guitar, vocals
• Lisa Gorlin: acoustic guitar
• Doug Heydon: double bass, electric bass
• Mike Fitch: drums and percussion

Airplay

(a partial list of over 60 college and non-commercial community radio stations)

Mist Covered Mountain Sundays from 10 a.m. to Noon Pacific Time with Leslie Hildreth on KLCC FM Broadcasting Online

Tune in weekdays: midday with Mike Dronkers and 2 -6 p.m. Pacific Time for Gary Franklin's show on KHUM FM Broadcasting Online

Midday with Kevin Bane on KURY FM Brookings, Oregon

The Folk Show with Keri Green Sundays 6:00to 9:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) on JeffersonPublic Radio SouthernOregon and Northern California

Toss the Feathers with Doug Dickson 3:00 to 5:00p.m. (Eastern Time) Saturdays on WCBE FM Columbus,Ohio

Tree and Root with Bruce Pierson on WDVR FM BroadcastingOnline Sergeantsville, NJ: Monday nights 10:00p.m. to Midnight (Eastern Time)

Celtic Edge with Katz on WICB FM Broadcasting Online Ithaca, NY Mondays at 10:00a.m. (Eastern Time)

WTIP FM Broadcasting Online GrandMarais, MN Celtic and Such with host Bruce MacDonald Thursdays 8:00 PM (Central Time)