Jae S. Lee/FOR THE SUMMER POST A free summer concert sponsored by the OU Performing Arts Series and Summer Session featured the music group, The Cantrells, consisting of Al and Emily Cantrell. The group performed last Saturday evening at the John R. Wilhelm Amphitheater outside of Scripps Hall on College Green.

The first words Emily Cantrell sang Saturday night in front of a packed Scripps Amphitheater were "losing track of time."

Those words would prove to summarize the concert perfectly.

All the elements of a timeless summer evening were there: blankets, picnic baskets, dancing children and a soft breeze wisping through the cool summer shade. And, of course, a bluegrass and folk duo generally regarded as one of the best in the business.

So, the crowd's expectation was for a special night of music. The Cantrells exceeded all expectations.

The interaction between this husband and wife duo was incredible, with Al Cantrell's fiddle vibrantly dancing upon a steady backdrop of Emily's acoustic guitar riffs. Emily's ethereal voice filled the air, as did the fiddle notes that Al magically wove around it.

With three albums to their credit and a new one in the works, The Cantrells played songs rich in musical variety.

On "Blackbird Bye-bye," Emily displayed her amazing vocal range. Al played with a fast, foot-stomping vivacity - the style typically associated with fiddling. As his fingers and bow moved in a blurred cadence up and down the fiddle, the crowd clapped in time.

Another crowd favorite was "On a Slow Boat to China," one of The Cantrells' poppier-sounding numbers, which flowed in a tempo quite suggestive of a boat rolling on waves.

"The Peaks of Otter" featured Emily using what she called "fiddlesticks." While Al played the fiddle, Emily used two sticks, about the size of chopsticks, to hammer out notes on the neck of the fiddle.

In addition to receiving consistent airplay on National Public Radio, The Cantrells were also chosen by Robert Redford to appear and perform in his movie, "A River Runs Through It." They played songs from the movie, and also joked about the experience.

"The most important thing for me was meeting Robert Redford," Emily said.

As ladies in the crowd sighed in jealousy, Al quickly added, "But he's shorter than he seems on-screen."

Onstage exchanges such as these were not in short supply, as The Cantrells took time to explain the meanings behind many of their songs.

One such song was "Shooting Stars," whose meaning Emily explained.

"We were watching a meteor shower, while a friend told us about the woes of his love life," Emily said. "Somehow I felt he was missing something."

Then, almost as mystically unexpected as a meteor shower, black clouds rolled in from behind the amphitheater. The concert had to be cut short, but the audience nonetheless left fulfilled.

"I've never really listened to bluegrass before, but I thought it was pretty cool," said Stella DeMoss, an OU junior. "I think it's my thing."