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By 8 p.m last Saturday, the Loeb Performance Arts Center at Germantown Friends School buzzed with anticipation. The snowstorm that delayed the school’s 15th annual A Cappella Fest a week seemed to only add to the sell-out crowd’s excitement.

Fifteen minutes later, the auditorium went black momentarily before a stark-white spotlight pierced center stage and the William Penn Charter Quakers Dozen, directed by Joe Fitzmartin, gathered in a half-circle around the microphones.

“The only difference between being on that stage and actually standing in the middle of nowhere is that you can hear the crowd,” Nicholas Kelly, president of the QD, told me. “You feel the excitement and you realize everybody’s there to hear you sing at that one moment.”

The show’s opening act started the night off on a mellow note with Don McLean’s folk rock tune, “Vincent.” Innocent romance followed with Rodgers and Hart’s “My Funny Valentine.” Then things got a little theatrical.

For the group’s final song, “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, Tim Bell did his best impersonation of the dance pop diva, complete with a pale-blonde wig and oversized sunglasses. The contemporary, light-hearted choreography made the number even more memorable.

With the audience loosened up and ready for more, The CHA Hilltones, directed by music department chairman Roland Woehr, took the stage next. The group, all wearing ties and Blues Brother Style sunglasses, started with a doo-wop inspired version of “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash. For “She’s Got a Way,” a Billy Joel tune, the group removed their shades while Pearce Lockwood sang about the qualities of the perfect woman.

 “Time of the Season,” by the 60s British pop-rockers, The Zombies, rounded out the set and included a brief, yet crowd-pleasing “trumpet” interlude.

The performance’s secret set list continued to reveal itself with the Springside Laurelei, directed by Mark Daugherty. The all-girl group soothed the crowd, starting with “I Will Remember You”, Sarah McLachlin’s gentle and reflective song about love lost. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s up-beat folk tune, “Our House,” followed. The Laurelei ended with an angelic version of the bittersweet “Hallelujah” by singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen.

The Chamber Singers, comprised of the CHA Hilltones and the Springside Laurelei, followed with “Water Runs Dry” by Philadelphia natives, Boyz II Men.

Then the audience got the loudest it would get all night, save for the performance’s conclusion. It was time for GFS A Capella to perform.

“There’s a specific sound, a specific decibel level you get when you go on stage – it just roars,” Allen Drew, the GFS A Cappella director explained to me. (Tickets for the show at GFS sold out in four-and-a-half hours).

GFS started its set with the up-tempo U2 song, “Lady with the Spinning Head.” Wild applause erupted from the dark auditorium afterward and during every break between numbers.

The group kept things moving with “Dr. Feelgood” by R&B legend Aretha Franklin, which featured a memorable performance from Johanna Velasquez. “Just for Now,” a down-tempo, wistful tune by Imogen Heap, followed. Maddie McFerrin, one of the group’s student directors, took the lead on “Roxanne” by The Police.

After “I Saw Her Standing There” by the Beatles, the group took it down a notch with “Possession” by Sarah McLachlan. “In My Room” by the Beach Boys, followed and featured near pinpoint harmony among soloists Thomas Case, Charlie McClelland and Ian McClelland.

“It’s incredible being in the spotlight with so few people,” McClelland said. “You feel on the spot, but you feel safe at the same time because you know no one around you is going to let you down.”

“Criminal” by Fiona Apple was the last song before the group launched into its finale: a Michael Jackson medley.

The highlight of GFS’ performance, the tribute seamlessly spanned the King of Pop’s career. With derby hats, sequined sweaters, and single white-gloved hands, the group moved from “Human Nature” to “Smooth Criminal” to “Black and White.” “Thriller” came complete with the song’s spooky narrative and zombie shuffle dance moves. Director Allen Drew even made a cameo appearance moonwalking across the action.

Following a brief intermission, a shorter second half opened with a five-song set by Dischord A Capella from the University of Pennsylvania. The contemporary set’s highlight was “White Horse” by country-pop star Taylor Swift, which featured beautiful solo work by Avantika Agrawal. The group’s rendition of “Halo,” Beyoncé’s soaring song about finding true love, was also a standout performance.

For the showcase’s grand finale, each a cappella group was invited on stage to share the spotlight with local, vocal virtuoso, Bobby McFerrin.

After the students – high school and college – arranged themselves along the vocal spectrum, McFerrin kicked-off a nearly thirty-minute vocal jam session.

With a full vocal palette at his disposal, McFerrin approximated a DJ let loose to experiment.

Accordingly, the improvised set didn’t feature recognizable songs so much as recognizable styles. Using call and response, McFerrin orchestrated tribal-like grooves, doo-wop ditties and opera-like overtures. At certain points, McFerrin took the lead and the students backed him up. At others, McFerrin laid back and let just the students showcase their vocal talents. McFerrin even incorporated the audience, who went wild when the session ended.

“Performance night here is like nothing else,” GFS’ Charlie McClelland told me before last weekend’s show was cancelled.

He wasn’t kidding.

GFS A Cappella donated five percent of its ticket sales, $5 from the sale of each GFS A Cappella Fest CD, and $3 from the sale of each A Cappella Fest T-Shirt to the American Friends Service Fund for earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.