Have to do mark lowery for Mary did you know. He wrote it and his whole heart goes into it. I've seen him sing it from the beginning. Hung out with him several times. He's the best ✝️
Kevin Olusola is a music producer, body percussionist, a beat-boxer, a cello-player, and a high tenor. He is also a freakin' genius...a real renaissance man for our time. Listen to his DOWN for just a taste of his magical talent in music.
I watched them live in concert last December. Even though Kevin doesn't have solo in this particular song, I walked away from the concert believing he has the best voice of anyone in the group. Dude is SUPER talented!
I would recommend a comparative listening to the versions of them, Home Free, and Voctave, whose version features Mark Lowry, co-writer and originator of the song. All three versions are quite different and remarkable, but in the Voctave version especially, Phelps hits and holds a high note for an awe-inspiring long time - all the more remarkable since he had to use a stool because of the effects of MS on his muscles.
Seriously the BEST version Ive ever heard snd I’ve heard and sung it hundreds of times …its a Christmas staple in my household…my dads a minister.lol Still PTX sings that song INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL!!! Definitely my FAVORITE version!!🎶❤️✌🏻
@@deborahbeatty I love all three versions as they have a very different feel. to me it goes like this. Simon and Garfunkel is a warning Disturbed is the rage that the warning wasn't heeded Pentatonix is the hope for a better future
It's not a song about love specifically, but about life. "This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can reconcile and embrace the whole mess, and that's what I mean by 'Hallelujah.'" -Leonard Cohen
It has always struck me as odd that people regard this song as a Christian song, much less a song for Christmas. The Biblical imagery is all from the Old Testament (David's harp, Bathsheba bathing on the roof, Samson getting a haircut), and that shouldn't surprised anyone because Leonard Cohen was Jewish. There are dozens of verses to "Hallelujah," most of which no one has heard. Through his life, Cohen never really finished writing it.
Daft Punk is a medley - mashup - of Daft Punk songs! They do all the sounds themselves! Even off mic performances. Recorded in a closet & filmed in a kitchen for around $400 during their beginning hard times... It won their 1st Emmy Award & a category had to be created for them! Their acceptance speech is so cute! Five 20 yr olds who never expected to win for a video done in a closet & a kitchen! 😂
Pentatonix is the cream of the acapella crop. They have won 3 Grammys, have their name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame…they have amazing originals and many covers. Their sound is recorded in a studio, but they sound just as good live, and they do have live videos as well. Leave the “the” off their name. Just Pentatonix. If you go down this rabbit hole, you’ll never come out…
I absolutely love their version of "Carol of the Bells"! Mitch sings the beginning without stopping. He has an impeccable voice, and his range amazing!!
This was never meant to be a religious song. It has many Biblical references but it’s about broken relationships, human pain, betrayal & the often loneliness of living…away from God & other people. The Bible references are actually skeptical & about sinfulness. Thank you SO Much for getting into this group. Can’t wait for the next one!!!
@@MrTurbo718 If you explore the remarks of Leonard Cohen -- /the/guy/who/wrote/this/song/ -- you'd know @CJBW was 1000% right. Cohen wrote the song with a great many Biblical allusions, but it's a song of lost love, longing, betrayal, and the human experience of all that.
Thank you. I didn't know how to express this and you did so perfectly. It always bothers me when I have seen this song performed in churches. It's like Americans jumping up and down during 'Born in the USA' like it's a patriotic song.
FINALLY! You should hear them doing it live. And the guy with the incredible high voice in named Mitch and that face you made when you heard him sing is known as being Mitch-slapped.
Hallelujah is my absolute fave! Then Little Drummer Boy, Deck The Halls, Mary Did You Know?, Joy To the World, The First Noel. They are amazingly good!!!
"Angels are singing . ." You are so right! These kids were MEANT to sing! Wait 'til you hear Amazing Grace. And yes, please do Sound Of Silence AND Imagine. You won't be sorry.
Love them and this song many people have done it but they are one of the best versions I've heard. Ive done barbershop singing so I know how hard it is to sing without music and to sound like the instruments are not missing ❤
EVERYTHING Pentatonix is absolutely mindblowing. They can blow your mind with beats and bass, then take you to church all in the same song!!! The most mind-blowing thing is they DO THIS LIVE!!! I have seen them in person 3 times and they never disappoint!! Please....PLEASE react to some more. I would do their cover of Daft Punk's Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger won them SOO many awards, and since were almost to Christmas their version of Carol of the Bells is absolutely hypnotising.
I'd heard this song a thousand times before I heard their version but had never realized how dark it was until I heard them sing it. I cried the first time I truly heard this song, basically their version. 😢
Pentatonix a "brief" background. They won The Sing Off in 2011. They made a guest starring appearance on America′s Got Talent as non−competitors a couple of years after that. The founding members are:- Scott Hoying (tall blond guy, natural baritone but has an impressive five−to−six octave range, can go all the way up to high tenor and down to bass, sings the bass lines when the usual bass singer takes the lead);
Kirstin "Kirstie" (Rhymes with "Thirsty") Maldonado (the only female member, natural mezzo soprano, but can go down to low alto and as high as upper soprano, also can sing in whistle notes that are off the scale); For a time in 2018 between the group’s tours, had the female lead on Broadway in the production of “Kinky Boots”. Mitch Grassi (a true contra−tenor, can hit high notes in his chest voice with ease and go WAY higher in his falsetto, also with ease); Avriel "Avi" Kaplan (dark beard and long hair), true basso profundo, trained as an opera singer, also can go up into the tenor range; and Kevin "KO" Olusola (beatboxer extraordinaire, also is a world−class cellist who plays cello on some of their songs, has a beautiful high tenor voice and gets occasional lead vocal solos as well, graduated pre−med from Yale and speaks several languages including Mandarin Chinese). Kirstie, Scott & Mitch grew up together in Arlington, Texas, and began performing together as children in local youth musical theater. They ended up in high school together and performed in the choir. While there, they formed an a cappella group called The Trio which had several performance videos go viral on TH-cam, most notably a cover of Lady Gaga′s "Telephone". The three of them are best friends and consider themselves to be almost siblings. Scott & Kirstie (who were a class year ahead of Mitch) both graduated high school in 2010 and went their separate ways to different colleges, Scott at USC and Kirstie at Oklahoma. While at USC, Scott joined a USC−based a cappella group called the SoCal VoCals, where he met alumnus Ben Bram, who was now an arranger and vocal coach for the NBC TV show The Sing Off, an a cappella competition show. Ben convinced Scott to get The Trio to audition for the show. The three reunited (Mitch had to skip high school graduation ceremonies to go) in Los Angeles for the audition. They found out that the rules had changed, so they needed at least five members to audition. Ben put them together with Avi (a native of Visalia, California), who he knew from Avi′s performing days at Mount San Antonio College in California. They found Kevin (from Kentucky) through one of his TH-cam videos that had gone viral featuring him playing the cello and beatboxing at the same time, a talent that Kevin coined as "Cello−Boxing". Kevin arrived in Los Angeles literally the day before the audition! Scott came up with the name "Pentatonix" after the pentatonic scale. They performed a re−arrangement of "The Telephone" for the audition and passed, despite having been together as a five−piece group for less that 24 hours! They won The Sing Off that season (all of the performances are available on TH-cam), in which they received a substantial cash prize AND a record contract with Epic Records. They pooled their prize winnings together and all moved to Los Angeles, and all got apartments right next door to each other in the same building. But just a week later, Epic dropped them because the marketing people didn′t think an a cappella group could sell records. Instead of giving up, they were determined and began recording their own songs on TH-cam, hiring Ben Bram as their producer and arranger. These usually consisted of the five of them sitting on a couch and performing cover songs live. Several of the videos went viral, and Sony (the parent company of Epic) decided to give them another chance by placing them on one of their smaller labels, Madison Gate. They released two secular EPs and one Christmas EP on Madison Gate, all of which were strong sellers. But when their cover of a medley of songs by Daft Punk not only went super−viral, but also won them their first Grammy, they were promoted all the way up to RCA Records, Sony′s top label. They began writing and producing their own songs in addition to their covers, began putting out a Christmas album just about annually (which has become their best−selling genre), and have had multi−platinum album sales, sold−out world tours, and have won two additional Grammys. Avi began getting burned out with all of the touring and heavy recording schedule, was suffering from anxiety and personal problems, and learned that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017. He announced he was departing from the group and taking some time away from the music industry. Matt Sallee (from Baltimore) joined them in September 2017. He did only become official when they renewed their RCA contract in February 2018, but he recorded with them in September as a featured artist and went on their Christmas tour as a featured artist, as well. When he attended the audition for the group, he had already mastered the Bass part for most if not all their past catalogue. He was successful and has proved that he fits in well with the group. If you think there have been other changes to the line up - look again. This is the ONLY change. Kirstie and Mitch are like chameleons and change looks frequently. It is an often debated subject among the Pentaholics as to just how soon we introduce the "Beginners Guide" as we don't want to overdo the introduction. This is a compilation of snips of a whole load of songs which PTX have released. It highlights each member with some of their solos and then a brief history in video. It is quite long - 14+ minutes and is a little dated now (Feb 2020) but is a good watch th-cam.com/video/lDxIfwfCmQE/w-d-xo.html&pp=ygUdYmVnaW5uZXJzIGd1aWRlIHRvIHBlbnRhdG9uaXg%3D. After a year away from music, Avi has now returned as a phenomenal solo artist in the Folk/Americana/Roots genre. Ben Bram has been in charge of their production, including arranging and directing from the beginning. He is often referred to as the sixth member. Scott and Kevin are major players in the arrangements, but every member contributes. A good watch is "The Recording of Evergreen" where a camera was invited into the studio for the second week of recording. Also, all members are songwriters for both Pentatonix and their own solo work. Ed Boyer who mixes everything of theirs (even the HWB Livestream) is the one who pulled Ben Bram into the sing off in the first place. They have Grammy wins for Daft Punk Medley, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jolene featuring Dolly Parton. They were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album Evergreen, but didn't win. Another nomination for Holidays Around the World album in the 2024 list! Kirstie became a new mum which caused a pause in touring after their Evergreen Christmas tour 2021. Mid March 2023 Kirstie has announced that she is engaged to Ben Hausdorff, their videographer. They married 22/04/24! Not clear how the future is to follow, but Kirstie has announced that she is expecting number 2 in early 2025. Not critical to the groups touring schedule, but Scott, Kevin and Matt are all married. Kevin and Matt with children. They have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame installed in February 2023. They are the only a capella group with a star! They came 3rd in the 2023 Masked Singer performing as "California Rolls" being unmasked in May 23. Things you need to know because if you get these wrong Pentaholics will come after you with pitch forks and torches! Ha Ha!! 1- There is NO Auto-Tune; what you hear is actually what they sing. They really are that good. One exception is the 90's Dance Medley where Cher used autotune as an effect - so they had to. 2- What produces everything that you hear in the video, you see in the official video. If there is an instrument used in the music, you see it on screen. In the 2022 Christmas album, there are some instruments not featured throughout the album. 3- They never release something on video they can’t reproduce with the exact same quality live on-stage. 4. It is "Pentatonix" there is no "The".
I absolutely love Pentatonix. They are on my Playlist. All of their music is fire. Mary Did You Know is out of this world. Definitely during the Christmas season I play their Christmas music.
They are incredible live. Saw them last summer. I was absolutely blown away. Their covers always become the gold standard to me. Sound of Silence, Daft Punk, Bohemian Rhapsody....one that's often overlooked is their cover of Gold by Kiiara. And any of their "evolution of..." videos. Well I mean, I guess just check them all out!
Leonard Cohen was the original artist. He was Jewish but open to learning from other religions. One of the biggest parts of his identity was questioning humanity, faith, and God.
Yup...and in this song, he was pointing out the betrayal to God by two of the Bibles heroes...David with Bathsheba, and Samson with Delilah. There are actually many more verses to the original song since Mr Cohen kept adding verses to it. I think it has something like 72 verses.
@Gwennedd I would actually be very interested to see Pegasus' reaction to "You Want It Darker". I have a feeling he might struggle with it a little bit.
Leonard Cohen initially wrote more than 80 verses for the song and then cut it down to the 4 in the studio version. It's been covered by seemingly everyone, but the most widely known version of the song was done by Jeff Buckley.
OMG Black Pegasus, I have been waiting over a year, to have to react to Pentatonix! They have such an extensive catalog that cross many genres, and are my absolute favorite a Capella group 😊 The dude with the amazing voice (Mitch), is a very rare counter tenor, which come once, if lucky twice in a lifetime, and just melts my ears when I hear him sing, & the rest of the group, also have amazing and unique voices, and when put together is like what I think music in Heaven would sound like......I really hope you continue down their rabbit hole, because I believe you will enjoy the ride , 😊Thanks!
Halleluyah was written in 1984 by Leonard Cohen and has been covered by many other singers and groups. It's meant as a heartfelt love song with religious references. It's not a Christmas song but people like to make it into one.
So happy you are discovering Pentatonix. They do some original songs, but most of their biggest hits are covers. But they don't just "cover" songs, they upgrade songs. You will love "Sound of Silence", and anything else you decide to check out.
An endless rabbit hole of music such talent ! With Christmas coming Mary did you Know and Little Drummer Boy is a MUST. Saw them in concert one of the most entertaining and fun shows I've seen in years
Home Free, Pentatonix, Voice Play....all 3 are amazing. I listen to all 3 of them. And there is a video of Home Free featuring Avi Kaplan (from Pentatonic) When he and Tim Faust hit those low notes, it will send shivers down your spine!
Voiceplay has Geoff Castellucci (sp?) who also has a magnificent bass voice!! PTX’s Avi Kapalin,Home Free’s Tim Foust,& Geoff Castellucci of Voiceplay are my top 3 favorite bass vocals to listen to,lol. All of them have solo careers too…highly worth checking them out as well!!! 😃🎶❤️✌🏻
Breakdown of the group... Scott (blonde) Mitch (with the big hat and counter tenor) and Kirsten (Kirsty like Thirsty) all went to high school together. Scott wanted to tryout for the Sing Off but you needed 5 people. A mutual friend recommended Avi (guy with beard and beanie - he left the group in 2017) and they found Kevin on TH-cam for his video of him playing Cello and Beat boxing (Celloboxing) was going viral. The group still is going strong and puts on an amazing show. Matt took Avi;s place, all other members have stayed the same although Kirsty & Mitch change their appearance frequently. You cant go wrong with ANY of their songs
Thanks for sharing. This is awesome. You are so right about us older folk loving what we grew up with, but there is always room for more great 🎶 music. And you and others who are reacting to music from before are opening up today's kids to what you didn't hear. 🎉
Yes Kevin is a beat boxer, ( one of the best in the world ) And yes they are known for their Christmas music. They do the " Prayer " with Scott singing in Italian. Also, " Mary did you know ", " The little drummer boy ", " Noel " and many more. Also check out " Blinding Lights ", " Coffee in bed ", " Shallow ". Most are remixes , but they take each song and make it their own !!!!!! This is a good journey to be on !!!!!
I am so glad you finally reacted to Pentatonix. Their Christmas songs are great. As a rapper you would enjoy Little Drummer boy and Can’t hold us, cover of Macklemore.
Pentatonix was the first and is really leader in the modern acapella movement. They really are amazing, and there is so much to hear. This video is 8 years old, and has 756 million views, they have older stuff, and more current, all of it is excellent.
That one is a shot in a glass church just outside of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It's a beautiful church!!! My husband and I had visited it before they recorded there so we thought it was pretty cool to see that. ❤
Part of their perfection comes from the fact that Scott, Mitch and Kirstie have been singing together since they were teenagers at school. They know each others voices inside and out.
Every one who covers this song, it hits different. This version with Pentatonix, is beautiful. Avi, the singer with the very long hair, has left Pentatonix and sings on his own, and he is very much a folk/holy/heart seeking singer ... you should check him out. Avi's song, Change on the Rise is hard hitting and beautiful
There's no ranking Pentatonix against Home Free. They each bring their own form of talent and are both fantastic. I agree you should definitely check out The Sound of Silence. It will blow your freaking mind!! I also think you should check out Home Free's cover of In the Blood by John Mayer and Helplessly Hoping cover by Crosby Steels and Nash. Home Free does a beautiful job on both.
It's like kids or pets, just don't compare. Ya got Pentatonix, Voice Play and Home Free. They might have some songs that are the 'same' but each add their own twist. Home Free is almost pure vocal percussion. PTX has more blend of body and vocal.
I grew up with the music of the sixties n 70s. Been loving watching you discover the music of my youth. AND I am also a devout Pentaholic! Thanks for getting to them. You’ll never be disappointed. You should now listen to the live version of Hallelujah and hat was recently released. You can hear their vocal maturity
FYI: "beatboxing" includes both vocalizations and body percussion (slaps, claps, stomps, etc.). Kevin (who is doing the slapping and stomping) is an amazing beatboxer, and while he does use some body percussion on some songs, the vast majority of the sounds he makes are done vocally. And "a cappella" just means "without instruments", so as long as you're using your body to create the sounds, it is still a cappella music. While the 4 verses that Pentatonix chose to sing are among the most popular, Leonard Cohen (who wrote the song) wrote several dozen verses for the song (over 80, is the number I've seen several times), and when he performed it, would often choose less well-known verses to sing. One difference between Pentatonix and Home Free is that PTX has always had a female member from the start - actually, from before the start. Kirstin, Mitch (hat and high voice) and Scott (first solo, tall blond) all grew up in Arlington, TX and all three met when they started high school together, although Mitch had already met both Kirstin and Scott separately. Those three are known as The Trio, after a group they put together to compete in a radio-show contest (they didn't win - boo!), and it was the basis for the group that became Pentatonix.
ANYTHING Pentatonix and you can't go wrong. "The Prayer" is almost MAGICAL, and Mary did you know will knock your socks off.
Have to do mark lowery for Mary did you know. He wrote it and his whole heart goes into it. I've seen him sing it from the beginning. Hung out with him several times. He's the best ✝️
❤so agree with you😊
I love Mary did you know. One of my favorites
Mary Did You Know gives me goosebumps every time I hear it!
@deborahgough8523 me too
Their rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody is not to be missed!
I prefer their original cover instead of their newer version. Both are amazing though.
I Liked the remendition from Shrek😊 but, Buckley, The Best❤
2nd this!!!
He's been Mitch Slapped and I'm not sure he knows it yet, but BeMo will definitely give him a taste of his medicine. LOL
What I was coming to say.
Kevin Olusola is a music producer, body percussionist, a beat-boxer, a cello-player, and a high tenor. He is also a freakin' genius...a real renaissance man for our time. Listen to his DOWN for just a taste of his magical talent in music.
Talent like that is so rare these days.
YES! His work alone is shockingly unhinged in talent... also very worth checking out!
I watched them live in concert last December. Even though Kevin doesn't have solo in this particular song, I walked away from the concert believing he has the best voice of anyone in the group. Dude is SUPER talented!
Thank you for posting this! It saves me from doing it on the ptx reactions I watch! Kevin is just an insane prodigy! That Down cover is insanity!
Apparently Kevin's got three different beats happening simultaneously in this song.
Their version of "Sound of Silence" is next level.
Oh the Mitch Slap, ain’t nothing like it 😊
I love the Mitch Slaps!❤
Their version of "Mary Did You Know" is amazing
❤❤❤❤
I would recommend a comparative listening to the versions of them, Home Free, and Voctave, whose version features Mark Lowry, co-writer and originator of the song. All three versions are quite different and remarkable, but in the Voctave version especially, Phelps hits and holds a high note for an awe-inspiring long time - all the more remarkable since he had to use a stool because of the effects of MS on his muscles.
Everything Pentatonix is amazing
Amazing Grace with the "Surprise" ending.
Seriously the BEST version Ive ever heard snd I’ve heard and sung it hundreds of times …its a Christmas staple in my household…my dads a minister.lol
Still PTX sings that song INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL!!! Definitely my FAVORITE version!!🎶❤️✌🏻
Sound of Silence will hit you just as hard.
Seconded
Watch the original Simon and Garfunkel, then Disturbed’s. Mind blowing.
My favorite song ever is Disturbed’s cover of Sound of Silence
@@deborahbeatty I love all three versions as they have a very different feel. to me it goes like this.
Simon and Garfunkel is a warning
Disturbed is the rage that the warning wasn't heeded
Pentatonix is the hope for a better future
This is not a religious song. It is a love song with religious references
Well put. I don't know why people think it is a religious song, and especially a Christmas song. What the heck?
It's not a song about love specifically, but about life. "This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can reconcile and embrace the whole mess, and that's what I mean by 'Hallelujah.'" -Leonard Cohen
In addition permission was granted to turn it into a Christian song.
It has always struck me as odd that people regard this song as a Christian song, much less a song for Christmas. The Biblical imagery is all from the Old Testament (David's harp, Bathsheba bathing on the roof, Samson getting a haircut), and that shouldn't surprised anyone because Leonard Cohen was Jewish. There are dozens of verses to "Hallelujah," most of which no one has heard. Through his life, Cohen never really finished writing it.
It’s like thinking Hozier - Take me to Church is a religious song.
You can’t go wrong with them! Bohemian Rhapsody and sound of silence are amazing!!!
Their Daft Punk Melody is a must listen
There version of "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" will most likely bring you to tears, ; as well as, "Mary, Did You Know?".
Mary did you know is MY FAVORITE!
Amazing Grace IS pure fire. As is The Prayer and Imagine (John Lennon).
Mary did you know always makes me cry. Something about those cords that hit me everytime
I was waiting for the Mitch slap😂 PLEASE take a deep dive into Pentatonix. They won a Grammy for their version of Daft Punk which is so fun to watch!
I love watching Mitch slaps 😂
That's how I discovered them. Their daft punk song is amazing.
Daft Punk is a medley - mashup - of Daft Punk songs! They do all the sounds themselves! Even off mic performances. Recorded in a closet & filmed in a kitchen for around $400 during their beginning hard times... It won their 1st Emmy Award & a category had to be created for them! Their acceptance speech is so cute! Five 20 yr olds who never expected to win for a video done in a closet & a kitchen! 😂
I only watch these videos for the Mitch slap 😂
I believe they also won a Grammy for their work with Dolly Parton, right?
Pentatonix is the cream of the acapella crop. They have won 3 Grammys, have their name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame…they have amazing originals and many covers. Their sound is recorded in a studio, but they sound just as good live, and they do have live videos as well. Leave the “the” off their name. Just Pentatonix. If you go down this rabbit hole, you’ll never come out…
Home Free is phenomenal as well! And they are INCREDIBLE in concert!!! Tim's bass literally shakes the building- absolutely incredible!!!!!!
Pentatonix, Home Free, and Voiceplay share a LOT of fans.
I absolutely love their version of "Carol of the Bells"!
Mitch sings the beginning without stopping. He has an impeccable voice, and his range amazing!!
And his breath control is mystical (how does he do that?)
🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
I've been waiting 53948 years for this.... MARY DID YOU KNOW.. Will 100000000000% Blow your mind!!!!!!! You ain't Ready!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤
Mary, Did You Know is my favorite Christmas song of all time. It's deep. It's beautiful. It was made for Pentatonix.
❤ Agreed
❤
There version of God Rest Yer merry gentlemen is also so good
Yes, yes, yes!!!!!
John Lennon’s “Imagine” as covered by Pentatonix made me cry. STUNNING!
But you need to do the studio version, the message n the song is powerful.
A must
Yes!
I concur!
Julian's version is stunning also
Welcome to the rabbithole. They are absolutely amazing!!!!!
This was never meant to be a religious song. It has many Biblical references but it’s about broken relationships, human pain, betrayal & the often loneliness of living…away from God & other people. The Bible references are actually skeptical & about sinfulness. Thank you SO Much for getting into this group. Can’t wait for the next one!!!
If you read the Bible you would know that you’re 1000% wrong.
@@MrTurbo718
If you explore the remarks of Leonard Cohen -- /the/guy/who/wrote/this/song/ -- you'd know @CJBW was 1000% right.
Cohen wrote the song with a great many Biblical allusions, but it's a song of lost love, longing, betrayal, and the human experience of all that.
Thank you. I didn't know how to express this and you did so perfectly. It always bothers me when I have seen this song performed in churches. It's like Americans jumping up and down during 'Born in the USA' like it's a patriotic song.
@@SteveS-z1vDidn't he write like 80 verses? 😊
There is a You Tube video where he talks about the song and sings several of the verses.
The Pentatonix are mad crazy amazing in EVERYTHING they do.
Yes I agree with the others recommending Mary Did You Know? It's wonderful, especially during the holidays.
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
FINALLY! You should hear them doing it live. And the guy with the incredible high voice in named Mitch and that face you made when you heard him sing is known as being Mitch-slapped.
Best live version: th-cam.com/video/haFHrfmfHbc/w-d-xo.html
The Mitch Slap is real!❤
That’s exactly what I thought 😂
He got Mitch slapped twice 😂
I said to my husband that I was waiting for it.
Classic 👍👍
Mitch always makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up
Hallelujah is my absolute fave! Then Little Drummer Boy, Deck The Halls, Mary Did You Know?, Joy To the World, The First Noel. They are amazingly good!!!
It is not just the music that was better, it was the lyrics that brought out emotions. This song was written in 1984 so it is literally 40 years old.
All of the percussion is Kevin's mouth and body, but with studio reverb and enhancement. No instruments at all; no auto-tune. Overwhelming talent.
"Mary did your Know" will floor you... I hope. Especially for Christmas. Pentatonix are great on all their performances and never disappoint..
"Angels are singing . ." You are so right! These kids were MEANT to sing! Wait 'til you hear Amazing Grace. And yes, please do Sound Of Silence AND Imagine. You won't be sorry.
Im ready for your fall down the pentatonix rabbit hole
Love them and this song many people have done it but they are one of the best versions I've heard. Ive done barbershop singing so I know how hard it is to sing without music and to sound like the instruments are not missing ❤
Their cover of John Lennon's "Imagine" is incredible and might bring a tear to your eye.
this and hearing Kevin's absolutely sweet voice vs being the vocal percusionist
Always brings a tear to my eye, and Kevin’s voice is angelic
Oh Come All Ye Faithful is an absolute party. Be ready to dance in your chair. Please check it out!
I second this!!
I third!
My favorite version of this lovely Carol! It's so joyous, as it should be! You know it's Christmas when Pentatonix fills the air! 💞
Mary did you know, Daft Punk Medley, Bohemian Rhapsody, Sound of Silence. Any and all, you cant go wrong.
I would add the 90s Dance Medley to this amazing list!
Yea, that Daft Punk Medley is 11/10 and so is Sound of Silence cover.
Their Michael Jackson medley is incredible also!
EVERYTHING Pentatonix is absolutely mindblowing. They can blow your mind with beats and bass, then take you to church all in the same song!!! The most mind-blowing thing is they DO THIS LIVE!!! I have seen them in person 3 times and they never disappoint!! Please....PLEASE react to some more. I would do their cover of Daft Punk's Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger won them SOO many awards, and since were almost to Christmas their version of Carol of the Bells is absolutely hypnotising.
My favorite is the dance of the sugarplum fairy! The deep bass and the increadable highs! WOW!
Listening to this brings me to tears every time; stunning. This is not a Christmas song and is in fact rather dark.
I'd heard this song a thousand times before I heard their version but had never realized how dark it was until I heard them sing it. I cried the first time I truly heard this song, basically their version. 😢
The black guy is the beat boxer! They are all so amazing and gifted! God bless!!
Pentatonix a "brief" background.
They won The Sing Off in 2011. They made a guest starring appearance on America′s Got Talent as non−competitors a couple of years after that.
The founding members are:-
Scott Hoying (tall blond guy, natural baritone but has an impressive five−to−six octave range, can go all the way up to high tenor and down to bass, sings the bass lines when the usual bass singer takes the lead);
Kirstin "Kirstie" (Rhymes with "Thirsty") Maldonado (the only female member, natural mezzo soprano, but can go down to low alto and as high as upper soprano, also can sing in whistle notes that are off the scale); For a time in 2018 between the group’s tours, had the female lead on Broadway in the production of “Kinky Boots”.
Mitch Grassi (a true contra−tenor, can hit high notes in his chest voice with ease and go WAY higher in his falsetto, also with ease);
Avriel "Avi" Kaplan (dark beard and long hair), true basso profundo, trained as an opera singer, also can go up into the tenor range; and
Kevin "KO" Olusola (beatboxer extraordinaire, also is a world−class cellist who plays cello on some of their songs, has a beautiful high tenor voice and gets occasional lead vocal solos as well, graduated pre−med from Yale and speaks several languages including Mandarin Chinese).
Kirstie, Scott & Mitch grew up together in Arlington, Texas, and began performing together as children in local youth musical theater. They ended up in high school together and performed in the choir. While there, they formed an a cappella group called The Trio which had several performance videos go viral on TH-cam, most notably a cover of Lady Gaga′s "Telephone". The three of them are best friends and consider themselves to be almost siblings.
Scott & Kirstie (who were a class year ahead of Mitch) both graduated high school in 2010 and went their separate ways to different colleges, Scott at USC and Kirstie at Oklahoma.
While at USC, Scott joined a USC−based a cappella group called the SoCal VoCals, where he met alumnus Ben Bram, who was now an arranger and vocal coach for the NBC TV show The Sing Off, an a cappella competition show. Ben convinced Scott to get The Trio to audition for the show. The three reunited (Mitch had to skip high school graduation ceremonies to go) in Los Angeles for the audition.
They found out that the rules had changed, so they needed at least five members to audition. Ben put them together with Avi (a native of Visalia, California), who he knew from Avi′s performing days at Mount San Antonio College in California. They found Kevin (from Kentucky) through one of his TH-cam videos that had gone viral featuring him playing the cello and beatboxing at the same time, a talent that Kevin coined as "Cello−Boxing".
Kevin arrived in Los Angeles literally the day before the audition! Scott came up with the name "Pentatonix" after the pentatonic scale. They performed a re−arrangement of "The Telephone" for the audition and passed, despite having been together as a five−piece group for less that 24 hours!
They won The Sing Off that season (all of the performances are available on TH-cam), in which they received a substantial cash prize AND a record contract with Epic Records. They pooled their prize winnings together and all moved to Los Angeles, and all got apartments right next door to each other in the same building.
But just a week later, Epic dropped them because the marketing people didn′t think an a cappella group could sell records.
Instead of giving up, they were determined and began recording their own songs on TH-cam, hiring Ben Bram as their producer and arranger. These usually consisted of the five of them sitting on a couch and performing cover songs live.
Several of the videos went viral, and Sony (the parent company of Epic) decided to give them another chance by placing them on one of their smaller labels, Madison Gate. They released two secular EPs and one Christmas EP on Madison Gate, all of which were strong sellers.
But when their cover of a medley of songs by Daft Punk not only went super−viral, but also won them their first Grammy, they were promoted all the way up to RCA Records, Sony′s top label.
They began writing and producing their own songs in addition to their covers, began putting out a Christmas album just about annually (which has become their best−selling genre), and have had multi−platinum album sales, sold−out world tours, and have won two additional Grammys.
Avi began getting burned out with all of the touring and heavy recording schedule, was suffering from anxiety and personal problems, and learned that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017. He announced he was departing from the group and taking some time away from the music industry.
Matt Sallee (from Baltimore) joined them in September 2017. He did only become official when they renewed their RCA contract in February 2018, but he recorded with them in September as a featured artist and went on their Christmas tour as a featured artist, as well. When he attended the audition for the group, he had already mastered the Bass part for most if not all their past catalogue. He was successful and has proved that he fits in well with the group.
If you think there have been other changes to the line up - look again. This is the ONLY change. Kirstie and Mitch are like chameleons and change looks frequently.
It is an often debated subject among the Pentaholics as to just how soon we introduce the "Beginners Guide" as we don't want to overdo the introduction. This is a compilation of snips of a whole load of songs which PTX have released. It highlights each member with some of their solos and then a brief history in video. It is quite long - 14+ minutes and is a little dated now (Feb 2020) but is a good watch th-cam.com/video/lDxIfwfCmQE/w-d-xo.html&pp=ygUdYmVnaW5uZXJzIGd1aWRlIHRvIHBlbnRhdG9uaXg%3D.
After a year away from music, Avi has now returned as a phenomenal solo artist in the Folk/Americana/Roots genre.
Ben Bram has been in charge of their production, including arranging and directing from the beginning. He is often referred to as the sixth member. Scott and Kevin are major players in the arrangements, but every member contributes. A good watch is "The Recording of Evergreen" where a camera was invited into the studio for the second week of recording.
Also, all members are songwriters for both Pentatonix and their own solo work.
Ed Boyer who mixes everything of theirs (even the HWB Livestream) is the one who pulled Ben Bram into the sing off in the first place.
They have Grammy wins for Daft Punk Medley, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jolene featuring Dolly Parton. They were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album Evergreen, but didn't win. Another nomination for Holidays Around the World album in the 2024 list!
Kirstie became a new mum which caused a pause in touring after their Evergreen Christmas tour 2021. Mid March 2023 Kirstie has announced that she is engaged to Ben Hausdorff, their videographer. They married 22/04/24! Not clear how the future is to follow, but Kirstie has announced that she is expecting number 2 in early 2025.
Not critical to the groups touring schedule, but Scott, Kevin and Matt are all married. Kevin and Matt with children.
They have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame installed in February 2023. They are the only a capella group with a star!
They came 3rd in the 2023 Masked Singer performing as "California Rolls" being unmasked in May 23.
Things you need to know because if you get these wrong Pentaholics will come after you with pitch forks and torches! Ha Ha!!
1- There is NO Auto-Tune; what you hear is actually what they sing. They really are that good. One exception is the 90's Dance Medley where Cher used autotune as an effect - so they had to.
2- What produces everything that you hear in the video, you see in the official video. If there is an instrument used in the music, you see it on screen. In the 2022 Christmas album, there are some instruments not featured throughout the album.
3- They never release something on video they can’t reproduce with the exact same quality live on-stage.
4. It is "Pentatonix" there is no "The".
Amazing Grace and Mary did you know are PERFECTION!!! No one does these better to bring a feeling of heaven to your soul!!
Mary Did You Know! These always bring a tear to my eye.
THERE DOING IT WITH A THING CALLED TALENT ..... REAL TALENT...
Their Christmas albums are AMAZING!!
If you want to see how diverse this group is try their Daft Punk Medley. It was done ten ot twelve years ago and won a grammy!!!!!
When Mitch's drop happened, the look on your face was priceless ❤️
Welcome to the world of Pentatonix! Great reaction! Word to the wise - EARPHONES when you are doing their stuff! You won’t be sorry!! ❤
yesss more pentatonix!!! ..Mary Did You Know? ...
❤❤❤❤
Sound of silence is awesome! You will be amazed at their Bohemian Rhapsody
I absolutely love Pentatonix. They are on my Playlist. All of their music is fire. Mary Did You Know is out of this world. Definitely during the Christmas season I play their Christmas music.
Everything they say, but The Sound of Silence and they also did Seals Kiss from a Rose.AWSOME
They are incredible live. Saw them last summer. I was absolutely blown away. Their covers always become the gold standard to me. Sound of Silence, Daft Punk, Bohemian Rhapsody....one that's often overlooked is their cover of Gold by Kiiara. And any of their "evolution of..." videos. Well I mean, I guess just check them all out!
They do it ALL. React and we Pentaholics will come!
Leonard Cohen was the original artist. He was Jewish but open to learning from other religions. One of the biggest parts of his identity was questioning humanity, faith, and God.
Yup...and in this song, he was pointing out the betrayal to God by two of the Bibles heroes...David with Bathsheba, and Samson with Delilah. There are actually many more verses to the original song since Mr Cohen kept adding verses to it. I think it has something like 72 verses.
@Gwennedd I would actually be very interested to see Pegasus' reaction to "You Want It Darker". I have a feeling he might struggle with it a little bit.
Leonard Cohen initially wrote more than 80 verses for the song and then cut it down to the 4 in the studio version. It's been covered by seemingly everyone, but the most widely known version of the song was done by Jeff Buckley.
@@jlerrickson I don't know that song. I'll have to check it out. Knowing Leonard's views on religion, it'll be a bit brutal, I think.
@@Gwennedd Yep. It's from his last album. It's up there with Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt" in terms of chill factor and intensity.
OMG Black Pegasus, I have been waiting over a year, to have to react to Pentatonix! They have such an extensive catalog that cross many genres, and are my absolute favorite a Capella group 😊 The dude with the amazing voice (Mitch), is a very rare counter tenor, which come once, if lucky twice in a lifetime, and just melts my ears when I hear him sing, & the rest of the group, also have amazing and unique voices, and when put together is like what I think music in Heaven would sound like......I really hope you continue down their rabbit hole, because I believe you will enjoy the ride , 😊Thanks!
Added bonus....the Pentaholics will soon subscribe to your channel
yeah, they are absolutely crazy! Thank you for your extra support and I appreciate you 🙏🏽
Oh my goodness ... "Celebrate Jesus Celebrate!" ... talk about a throw back!! Snag that song a lot at church!
"MARY DID YOU KNOW" is a must.
You've opened the rabbit hole, and now the Pentaholics will come!
And I am here for it! 👏🏼🙌🏼👍🏼
We're here!!😁
Oh yes
Me too
I'm here, too! ❤
Halleluyah was written in 1984 by Leonard Cohen and has been covered by many other singers and groups. It's meant as a heartfelt love song with religious references. It's not a Christmas song but people like to make it into one.
So happy you are discovering Pentatonix. They do some original songs, but most of their biggest hits are covers. But they don't just "cover" songs, they upgrade songs. You will love "Sound of Silence", and anything else you decide to check out.
If you want to check out one of their originals I highly suggest you start with "Sing". I think it may have been the first original they released. ❤
If you want to really have your socks blown off...pull up their live version of Hallelujah. They ARE that good!!
I will always get chills listening to Pentatonix
An endless rabbit hole of music such talent ! With Christmas coming Mary did you Know and Little Drummer Boy is a MUST. Saw them in concert one of the most entertaining and fun shows I've seen in years
Lets not forget their version of the Grinch.
Home Free, Pentatonix, Voice Play....all 3 are amazing. I listen to all 3 of them. And there is a video of Home Free featuring Avi Kaplan (from Pentatonic) When he and Tim Faust hit those low notes, it will send shivers down your spine!
Home free is also amazing
Ring of Fire! It's awesome!
Yes, Ring of Fire - one of my absolute favorites!
Voiceplay has Geoff Castellucci (sp?) who also has a magnificent bass voice!! PTX’s Avi Kapalin,Home Free’s Tim Foust,& Geoff Castellucci of Voiceplay are my top 3 favorite bass vocals to listen to,lol. All of them have solo careers too…highly worth checking them out as well!!! 😃🎶❤️✌🏻
Yes, yes, and yes!!
Breakdown of the group... Scott (blonde) Mitch (with the big hat and counter tenor) and Kirsten (Kirsty like Thirsty) all went to high school together. Scott wanted to tryout for the Sing Off but you needed 5 people. A mutual friend recommended Avi (guy with beard and beanie - he left the group in 2017) and they found Kevin on TH-cam for his video of him playing Cello and Beat boxing (Celloboxing) was going viral. The group still is going strong and puts on an amazing show. Matt took Avi;s place, all other members have stayed the same although Kirsty & Mitch change their appearance frequently. You cant go wrong with ANY of their songs
Didn't Avi go to Home Free??
@BeckyTodd-xy7cd No, he went solo he just did a song with them once.
@@BeckyTodd-xy7cdNo, Time Foust is the bass in Home Free but Avi has done some collabs with them.
@Fafnir369 I knew that I had seen Avi on some Home Free things
Thanks for sharing. This is awesome. You are so right about us older folk loving what we grew up with, but there is always room for more great 🎶 music. And you and others who are reacting to music from before are opening up today's kids to what you didn't hear. 🎉
Every time I hear them sing this I get chills. The black guy is the beat box person.
For Christmas, it must be the Pentatonix cover of Mary Did You Know, the moving carol by Mark Lowry.
Alternatively - O Come All Ye Faithful
Yes Kevin is a beat boxer, ( one of the best in the world ) And yes they are known for their Christmas music. They do the " Prayer " with Scott singing in Italian. Also, " Mary did you know ", " The little drummer boy ", " Noel " and many more. Also check out " Blinding Lights ", " Coffee in bed ", " Shallow ". Most are remixes , but they take each song and make it their own !!!!!! This is a good journey to be on !!!!!
I am so glad you finally reacted to Pentatonix. Their Christmas songs are great. As a rapper you would enjoy Little Drummer boy and Can’t hold us, cover of Macklemore.
You awakened the Pentaholics. We have been with them in their 14 yr journey together. We are a FORCE! ❤❤❤❤❤
One of the most enduring songs written in the last 50 years, performed by angelic voices in perfect sync. A stupendous production
The Pentatonix make me cry with their performance of Halelujah.
It’s so much fun watching someone encounter PTX for the first time. They are all insanely talented.
Pentatonix was the first and is really leader in the modern acapella movement. They really are amazing, and there is so much to hear. This video is 8 years old, and has 756 million views, they have older stuff, and more current, all of it is excellent.
Unbelievably talented group of individuals.
There is a God above. I am so thankful for knowing this.
Their Daft Punk mix is incredible.
They also do Amazing Grace! Gives you goosebumps!
That one is a shot in a glass church just outside of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It's a beautiful church!!! My husband and I had visited it before they recorded there so we thought it was pretty cool to see that. ❤
With the video.
Sound of Silence & Daft Punk Medley are musts! You won't regret it, bro!
They do everything themselves with they're voice and body. You need to go down that rabbit hole. You'll definitely enjoy it.❤❤
Part of their perfection comes from the fact that Scott, Mitch and Kirstie have been singing together since they were teenagers at school. They know each others voices inside and out.
Every one who covers this song, it hits different. This version with Pentatonix, is beautiful. Avi, the singer with the very long hair, has left Pentatonix and sings on his own, and he is very much a folk/holy/heart seeking singer ... you should check him out. Avi's song, Change on the Rise is hard hitting and beautiful
"Imagine" is thought-provoking, and "Amazing Grace" will touch your heart, but "Bohemian Rhapsody" is at a different level
There's no ranking Pentatonix against Home Free. They each bring their own form of talent and are both fantastic. I agree you should definitely check out The Sound of Silence. It will blow your freaking mind!!
I also think you should check out Home Free's cover of In the Blood by John Mayer and Helplessly Hoping cover by Crosby Steels and Nash. Home Free does a beautiful job on both.
It's like kids or pets, just don't compare. Ya got Pentatonix, Voice Play and Home Free. They might have some songs that are the 'same' but each add their own twist. Home Free is almost pure vocal percussion. PTX has more blend of body and vocal.
Thanks! Please react to Pentatonix cover of the Christmas Carol “Mary Did You Know” it will blow your socks off.
thanks for your extra support! No promises but I might check that out
I grew up with the music of the sixties n 70s. Been loving watching you discover the music of my youth. AND I am also a devout Pentaholic! Thanks for getting to them. You’ll never be disappointed. You should now listen to the live version of Hallelujah and hat was recently released. You can hear their vocal maturity
I get chills every time I listen to this ❤❤❤
Bohemian rhapsody is a must!
Definitely there’s a God above!!!! Angels singing straight to God himself… powerful group!
Im SO glad you watched that. They're amazing!!!! & the song is SO moving. Tears should brim with this one ~ God Bless you sweetheart ~
Everything they do is outstanding! ❤🎉
Pentatonix is hands down the best a capella group I've ever heard, and this is the best version of this song out there
It isn't even close to the best version of this song.
One of my favorite songs from pentatonic is Mary did you know. I one hundred percent recommended that song ❤❤❤❤
Bohemian Rhapsody is one of my favorites but they're all fantastic! Thanks.
When they do a compilation of different artists, different genres, different eras ... it is just mesmerizing 🫣
GOD GIVEN TALENT INDEED 🙏😇🙏
Anything you watch by this group is great. They do not disappoint, ever!!!!
Go for Oh Holy Night.
YES!!! The 2023 version is absolutely incredible!!
Mary Did You Know is beautiful!
Oh come all ye faithful, 12 days of Christmas and o holy night, now during the winter time's 😊😊
Time for the Pentatonix run? They crazy
FYI: "beatboxing" includes both vocalizations and body percussion (slaps, claps, stomps, etc.). Kevin (who is doing the slapping and stomping) is an amazing beatboxer, and while he does use some body percussion on some songs, the vast majority of the sounds he makes are done vocally. And "a cappella" just means "without instruments", so as long as you're using your body to create the sounds, it is still a cappella music.
While the 4 verses that Pentatonix chose to sing are among the most popular, Leonard Cohen (who wrote the song) wrote several dozen verses for the song (over 80, is the number I've seen several times), and when he performed it, would often choose less well-known verses to sing.
One difference between Pentatonix and Home Free is that PTX has always had a female member from the start - actually, from before the start. Kirstin, Mitch (hat and high voice) and Scott (first solo, tall blond) all grew up in Arlington, TX and all three met when they started high school together, although Mitch had already met both Kirstin and Scott separately. Those three are known as The Trio, after a group they put together to compete in a radio-show contest (they didn't win - boo!), and it was the basis for the group that became Pentatonix.