By Jenny Marsh

It’s hard to argue that Sigma’Cappella didn’t bring out all the stops Thursday night at the “Raise Your Voice for Relay” benefit concert. Besides Sigma itself, there were various acts featuring everything from heart-felt poetry to raffles hosted by singers in cow costumes.

The April 7 concert was held in the Monroe Lecture Theatre and aimed to collect money that will go towards Sigma’s team for Relay for Life, an organization that raises money for the American Cancer Society.

The program began with the Sigma men singing down the aisles to Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” meeting the girls and soloist on stage. Soloist, Erin Willet’s voice had the uncanny likeness of the famous singer and immediately tooks control of the room. Although the singers presented us with a fun-loving and laid back attitude between numbers, the powerful lyrics and music of their opener provided a no-nonsense beginning to the concert.

Haha Hofstra’s Emma Clark was the comedic high point of the evening, getting audience members laughing at everything she said–even things, she says. that weren’t meant to be funny. Her interpretation of Rebecca Black’s day of the week lesson, and a song, “Lazy” – a spoof off of Gnarls Barkley’s “Krazy” – elicited resounding applause and amusement.

Sigma’s next set of three songs were upbeat pop hits, Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On,” Otis Reading’s “Sittin’ on the Dock,” and Bruno Mars’ recent hit, “Grenade.” Angelica Levy provided a quick interlude with three of her very well-versed poems dealing with love, childhood and self-image. “Blue Jeans,” detailing the speaker’s dependence on a pair of jeans to make her feel self-worth was the most solemn and deep, perfectly setting the tone for the next set Sigma had to offer.

“Apologize” by One Republic was a very unexpected number for the group, as it did not showcase the expertise and musicality of the previous numbers; however, soloist Matt Georgetti hit some pretty impressive high notes that warranted praise. “Sweet Disposition” by Temper Trap was pure beauty and Sinead Conlon, again, helped to highlight the large array of different sounds and talents the group contains. “Hometown Glory” by Adele was no exception to this standard and stole the show as Willett busted out vocals challenging that of even Adele.

Hofstra’s Strictly Steppin’ deserved the awe and adoration they received after delivering a (mostly) flawless step routine that was intricate, rhythmic and all business. The only minor flaw was the unfortunate mistake made at the end by a member who forgot the step. All in all, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Sigma’Cappella had its final set of three songs, the most memorable being “Ragged Wood” by Fleet Foxes. The group pulls out sheet music and apologizes for not being prepared and feigns two false starts before throwing the music into the air and delivering a thoroughly rehearsed performance, much to the relief of the audience.

The final variety act of the night, Mike Petrow and Way C, took to the stage before Sigma’s final song, with what was the most perplexing act of the night. The rappers’ displays were outlandish and left attendees confused.

Before closing the show with the showy “Somethin’ to Talk About” by Bonnie Rait, Sigma’Cappella announces that between ticket sales, the raffles and the date auction, as well as donations from the audience, they raised over $650 towards their cause. Hofstra University’s Relay for Life is on April 30.