Ms. Rice opened the concert with an unannounced audience sing-along of two spirituals and a sacred harp song, and then turned to the program proper, which began with five expressively chromatic settings by Hugo Weisgall.

He shouted with his last strength a protest that was no word but a bird cry against the impossibility of the harp song.

The harp song came to an end; the harpist, a lean, dark man with a dour smile, rose to get wine.

Yes, more pleasant to him was knowledge than the harp song of bards, or the feasting of friends, or even his arm around the slender waist of a girl.

Paste Magazine describes Eriksen's performance of sacred harp songs at an Atlanta concert as "stand-out" and said Eriksen "was best at adapting the raw power of sacred harp to his own arrangements."

He says that what he is creating is neither folk, nor traditional, and even the harp songs are not traditional works, though they are influenced by the traditional music of the United Kingdom and traditional Irish music.

It seemed to drift off, twining with the harp song that filled the air.

The heartbreaking beauty of harp song.

Dianne Wilson, whose earlier attempt to give a free concert of Irish harp songs and dances at the Danbury Music Center was foiled by last month's blizzard, tries again at 8 P.M. on Saturday (748-1716).

Of the other three songs, one was recorded at the same place in early 2005, and the other two, the harp songs, were recorded at Anderson's home.