This Saturday evening, on a stage lit by dozens of candles, musicians in medieval attire will play harps, drums and rare instruments in an evening of song and poetry.

Taking place at the Yukon Arts Centre, the ensemble is called Winter Harp, and their performance marks the season opener for Whitehorse Concerts.

This won't be Winter Harp's first appearance in the Yukon, though. Their first performance was in 2005, and they are now back due to popular demand, said Michelle Emslie of Whitehorse Concerts.

'This year, we're celebrating our 25th anniversary,' Emslie said in an interview earlier this week.

At the beginning of last season, concert goers were polled to determine their favourite acts from all the previous seasons. Those who received the most votes were then invited back to play an encore performance this season.

'I didn't know what to expect,' said Emslie, reflecting on the poll. 'But it didn't surprise me people picked Winter Harp as one of their favourites.'

The group consists of Lori Pappajohn, celtic harp and voice; Lauri Lyster, percussion; Oliver Shroer, fiddle; Janelle Nadeau, harp; and Joaquin Ayala, medieval instruments.

The Star spoke with Pappajohn earlier this week.

'We love the Yukon, it's so beautiful,' Pappajohn said from her home in Vancouver.

'Last time we were here, we went dogsledding with the harps,' she said. 'This time, we're looking forward to enjoying a different season.'

Winter Harp has been playing together for 15 years. In that time, they have won numerous awards, released several albums and have repeatedly toured to worldwide destinations.

'We play a variety of music blues, celtic, flamenco with percussion,' said Pappajohn.

'Drums and harp go well together, there's a real contrast between them,' she stressed. 'On a primitive level, they're the oldest instruments.'

In fact, harps are known to date back at least 6,000 years and are found in cultures around the world.

'Most people don't realize there are many kinds of harps,' said Pappajohn.

The group's list of unusual instruments includes a bass psaltery, an organistrum and a nyckelharpa.

'The bass psaltery is like sunlight shimmering on the water,' said Pappajohn. 'I don't know how else to describe it.'

Made specifically for the group in 1998, a bass psaltery is a 35-string harp which stands five feet tall.

An organistrum is a large, guitar-shaped box with a crank at one end and keys along the neck.

Overall, it has a droning, bagpipe-like sound.

A nyckelharpa is a predecessor to the violin, with strings which are played with keys rather than a bow.

'For people who have never heard harp music before, this show is a real treat,' asserted Pappajohn. 'We like to give people a taste of the harp world.'

For Emslie, Winter Harp presents concert goers with a nice way to ease into the winter season.

'They encompass so many things that people really love,' she said. 'They have amazing musicality.'

This performance won't be the same as the last, she noted, as their instrumentation has changed.

'This time, they're bringing an amazing fiddler, a different aspect to the group,' added Emslie.

Saturday's concert will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are limited and can be purchased at the arts centre.

Winter Harp also heads to Haines Junction tonight for an evening performance.

Following the performance at the arts centre, there will be a reception in the lobby with cake and punch to celebrate the opening of Whitehorse Concerts' 25th season.

All are welcome to attend. For more information on this and other Whitehorse Concerts events, visit their website at whitehorseconcerts.com.