When the members of Washington University’s many a cappella groups heard that classes would be held online until April 30, they knew that their spring concerts would be cancelled.

Purple lights cast an eerie glow on the stage in Emerson Auditorium. Low, soft covers of songs I was pretty sure I knew played on the speakers. Attendees filed in slowly, filling the first half of the auditorium easily but leaving the back half sparsely populated. The show was about to start: Stranger Sings, The Sensasians and Sur Taal Laya’s (STL) 80s-themed fall concert.

The Parent & Family Weekend a cappella showcase, Voices & Sounds, was a grand affair. But what really shaped the atmosphere of Voices & Sounds were the a cappella performances themselves.

With the start of the new school year, Wash. U. a cappella teams are looking to bring new voices to their teams, and what better way to do that than by hosting an a cappella information session? Each group performed one song to best show off their strengths.

A capella groups descended on the 560 Music Center Friday night. Here’s a taste of what you missed and when you can catch the Stereotypes, Pikers and others next.