Eight a cappella ensembles kicked off the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts last Wednesday at the A Cappella Fest to benefit the SAMFund, a charity founded by two Brandeis alumnae that assists young cancer survivors.The show opened with Rather Be Giraffes, who sang three songs off their new album, followed by show-tune ensemble Proscenium and gospel group Voices of Soul.

The highlight of the first act, however, was GOLF (Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden), the newest addition to Brandeis' a cappella scene. The group, consisting of Josh Klein '07, Eli Matzner '08, Nick Barasch '06 and Alex Toplansky '07, performs older romance songs and classic barbershop arrangements. For the most part, GOLF sang even better than the veteran groups that preceded them-a quality likely drawn from the singers' prior experience with a cappella ensembles. (Matzner and Barasch performed with Starving Artists; Toplansky was a member of the now-defunct Spur of the Moment.)

The Shirley Tempos, a female ensemble, kicked off their set with soloist Jess Perelle '07 belting out Bonnie Raitt's "Let's Give Them Something to Talk About." The group performed with an abundance of energy, especially demonstrated in their closing song, Avril Lavigne's "So Much for my Happy Ending."

Manginah, who specialize in Hebrew-language and Israeli pop songs, lit up the stage with their classy and colorful attire. Maginah's entertaining stage chemistry made it easy to forget that they were singing about their love of God, particularly when hearing songs such as "Yoducha," with a solo by Jessie Podell '06.

Up the Octave, Brandeis' other female a cappella group, sang surprisingly well. Although many of the ensemble's key members have graduated in recent years, the girls put in a great performance, particularly with their energetic rendition of Annie Lennox's "Walking on Broken Glass."

Following the ladies were the men of Voicemale, who proved they are still the best vocal group at Brandeis. Their rendition of Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger," sung by Jon Weinstein '07, was the best solo performance of the night. Voicemale is as close to a professional a cappella group as Brandeis has.

Starving Artists, who hosted the concert, closed out the evening, and their synchronized choreography and chemistry made the group easy and enjoyable to hear. Starving Artists-particularly Ashley Firestone '05-also gave the best "rocking-out" expressions of the evening.

Once again, A Cappella Fest brought together campus groups for a concert that for the most part showcased the musical diversity of our school.