There is something magical about hearing old-style folk music that evokes images of Appalachian Mountain and 18th century European life.

You usually hear, though, only a couple of individual musicians playing dulcimers, fiddles, guitars, mandolins and banjos and not an eight-piece group like the Savannah River Stringband, formed almost two years ago in Aiken.

If you are free tonight, then, and would like to hear an interesting free concert, head for Maude Edenfield Park by the tennis courts across from North Augusta City Hall on East Buena Vista Avenue. For you Georgians, that means taking a right at the first traffic light after going across the 13th Street bridge and go a few blocks.

The Savannah River Stringband, sponsored by the North Augusta Cultural Arts Council, will play for an hour beginning at 7 p.m. Bring a blanket or folding chair and non-alcoholic drinks.

Group members are Vicki Gibboney, on lead hammered dulcimer; her husband, Don, banjo and bouzouki; Susan Pitts, Jane Rigot, Pat Colbert and Beverly Johnsen, hammered dulcimers; Buddy Presley, mandolin; Pat Reidy, fiddle; and Peter Bowers, guitar.

"Vicki has been the leader and the driving force behind all of this," Mr. Bowers said. "She teaches hammered dulcimer classes and started the group because people wanted to hear the sound."

Mr. Bowers, who learned through a newspaper advertisement about jam sessions the group was having, said that the first appearances were informal but that they have evolved into a professional presentation.

"We had about 800 people at our Hopeland Gardens concert last year and started getting calls from different groups," Mr. Bowers said. "We're performing for the Augusta Canal cruise on Oct. 3, and we have recorded music for the soundtrack of director Christopher Forbes' new Civil War movie, Perfect Disguise ."

All of this interest in the traditional music of the Savannah River Stringband is pleasing to Mr. Bowers, a retired New York state school administrator.

"We have a pretty unique sound," he said. "We don't do vocals, and we're more of an old-time string band than a bluegrass group."

Besides standard old-time songs such as Red Wing, Golden Slippers and traditional Irish music, audiences are likely to hear the Stringband's versions of pop songs such as The Sounds of Silence, Tennessee Waltz and Ghost Riders in the Sky .

"I think most of our audience will pretty much recognize most everything we do," Mr. Bowers said. "They may not have heard it played exactly the way we do, but they'll say, 'Oh, I know that song.' "

You can learn more about the group at their Web site, savannahriverstringband.com.

Don Rhodes has written about country music for 37 years. He can be reached at (706) 823-3214 or at don.rhodes@morris.com.