I find most traditional Christmas carols are sung in a somber style. This one is uplifting and joyous and just feels like it is meant to be this way. I’m so happy that you chose it!
Apparently this is a Kevin arrangement and definitely an African music vibe. This is one of the first ones I suggest to friends to illustrate how PTX brings joy to their songs and CHANGES almost every cover they do, in the very best ways. When have you ever felt like dancing to a Christmas carol before this? SO fun. Great reaction.
I came to say the same thing. Avi has said so in interviews that they celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas in their household but Avi himself identifies as Jewish.
There is an interview compilation that has the interviewer asking about how they feel about all the Xmas music and Avi chuckles and says ' Oh sure, ask the Jew!' and they all crack up. basically they serve the music in whatever genre. @@marybrown6128
@@goldfishwatching1619 Their arranger Ben is also jewish and jokes he's in the good company of a long line of Jews making the best christmas music. There is a hilarious tradition of big christmas songs being written or arranged by jewish people, haha.
My go-to comment for this video.... how Pentatonix takes a traditional Christmas carol and turns it into an Afro-Carribbean dance party. NO ONE can keep still listening to this arrangement! It really is a call to the faithful to come and join in joy and celebration. Brilliant arrangement inspired by Kevin's roots, and my favourite PTX Christmas video. Great reaction!
Great pickup on the beat/style right away!! Kevin and Avi arranged this one. And, I've never heard that Avi had a problem with the Christian carols. They have done so many of them...Silent Night, especially. He's always been a "team player" and, PTX has always respected their group's diversity.
If you are not singing, dancing, swaying, bopping, bouncing or humming during this fantastic upgrade, there is nothing for you out there. PTX is astonishing!!!
Solo Avi is their version of Silent Night. They were on tour in Europe and visited an old German Church with great acoustics and went back and recorded it just standing and singing It’s beautiful and Avi shines
This is the way the song should always be performed, with absolute, unfettered joy. Their live Joyful Joyful (the SIster Act 2 version) is also amazing and their O Holy Night is goosebump inducing
I always enjoy your reactions! Avi did three Christmas albums with ptx. His father is Jewish, and his mother is Christian . I believe he celebrates both religions. Avi has only performed one Xmas song since going solo, and it was a hastily arranged o Holy Night for his last three stops on his tour in 2022. It is very different and has Texas style. 5thgentexan channel has a great recording of it, if you are interested. I hope you get back to some more Avi soon. He released a new single in November called Healing, which is fantastic! Merry Christmas, cheers!
Definitely check out Avi's live "O Holy Night". He and his band performed it only at the 3 Texas venues as a thank you for their patience, as he'd had to postpone their original shows because of a family emergency, and those 3 shows were moved to the end of the tour. This special gift to those 3 audiences was the last of the encores. In addition to his beautiful vocal, the addition of the pedal steel adds a Texas flavor. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5cvb2qOU0o0.html
I saw Avi in Dallas last December & his O Holy Night was absolutely fantastic! It’s my 2nd favorite version ever, behind David Phelps. Merry Christmas y’all!
Actually, when Kevin asked if they could do this song in his Afrikaans style, Avi was the first to fight on his side. The words are what is important to both Avi and Kevin. Avi is Jewish and Kevin is Christian. Their beliefs are actually very similar, so they were very supportive of each other's beliefs. I love this beat. It adds a new dimension to this song that I have always loved. May I recommend a Choir sound...a group called Voctave, singing "Where ae you Christmas?". I think you will love the high notes as well as the low notes, Just because they have such a full sound. Take care of yourself and we will see you next time.
One of my favourite Christmas arrangements that PTX have done. Heard it twice at the Florida Christmas shows just a few days ago and it’s even better live. Everyone was dancing.
AGREED...which is why so very many people immediately fell in love with Dan's version of "Amazing Grace." It was WRITTEN as a thankful and positive VICTORY song, and somehow, over the years, it got turned into THE song to sing at a Christian funeral! Once the LIFE got plugged back in, BINGO! 😀
If you can watch this music video and not at least smile, if not full-on dance, then you may want to check your pulse!! One of my favorites! And trying to do anything while listening to it (cook dinner, drive, wrap presents, etc.) gets very complicated when you're constantly be-bopping to music and waving your arms in the air! 😂
The way this song should be done for sure!!! Never get tired of it! I think you might like their live version of Joyful Joyful from the Evergreen Experience!!! I agree- I envy the joy and celebration of the Black church and wish that my church would have that same energy and conviction all the time.
I love that you love this. I love it. I agree 100% with your reaction. It makes me so happy and it is a celebration of our Lord. It is so sad we can’t even speak positive about a different race without worrying about offending someone. It’s not us but those who would come against our Lord to separate us. It’s not going to work in the end! God wins! Let’s celebrate that! Let’s celebrate that Jesus loves us all and died for all people. I’m glad you reacted to this song. You’ve made it even more special. The choir was excellent. Everyone’s joy was obvious. That is what this holy day is about! Merry CHRISTmas! God bless! 🙏🕊✝️❤️ By the way - feel great soon! 🥰
You just made my day!!!! I absolutely loved this reaction.. This is one of my absolute favorites and watching you experience this song with the smiles and the dancing = PRICELESS 💕
This arrangement is a tribute to Kevin's Nigerian father. Sung as it should be - with joyful abandon! Love your always appreciative & enthusiastic reactions. Happy Holidays!
After this version, (inspired by Kevin's heritage) I will always need and adore this celebratory version so much more than any other. No matter how beautiful! I'm so glad you loved it too. I love seeing the faces of ppl who hear this the first time. It's always surprise and awe! Well done! I love your dancing. LOL Merry Christmas.
Leave it to PTX to sing this song the way it was meant to be heard…Joyously! And with a catalog of over 200 Xmas songs, yes, you will be at it for quite a while! Especially when they add a new holiday album every year or so! Keep ‘em coming…more please!
This is such a joyful version of the song - a song that like many traditional Christmas carols, usually is much slower and "buttoned-down" in its presentation. But this seems much more like the way it should be sung! Check out Kirstie at 05:25 for a few seconds. Even though everyone else in the group is standing pretty still, she can't help but move to the song!
Yes, he was concerned about making racist assumptions. Not. Just must faster on the pick up than most reactors. And definitely he got the gospel vibe too. 😀
Kev arranged it. Tribute to his Kenyan Father. His Carib mother. It has a HUGE afro carib. As a Jewish singer I used to quasi-hate Chorus and Competition Choir in December. It was all Christmas stuff. Avi, someone who came up through Chorus and such likely didnt love it but is years already used to it.
One of the christian protestant sects is called African Methodist Episcopal. I can hear this arrangement sung in the church for their Christmas Eve (midnight??) service. I grew up as a United Methodist -- a close cousin to AME.
Thank you very much for your reaction. I agree with you 100% that PTX have turned an old, very worn Christmas song into a song of joy and celebration of God and Jesus. And yes, the African church celebrates God and expresses in its services the immense joy and gratitude that we should all feel. With that in mind, I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas.
😊❤ Hi Viking! I've said it before and I will say it again ... Leave it to PENTATONIX to take a slow song that hasn't been changed in 400 years and make you chair dance!! 😊❤❤
Love both traditional and the new. When i was younger, i heard the claymation version of We Three Kings. It was a mix of tradional and motown. Still hum it to this day. Love this version of Come All Ye Faithful. And loving your advant. I appreciate all your hard work. Sorry you're under the weather. Feel better soon. ❤❤❤ HUZZAH!
I'm so happy you picked this one too! It's one of my favorite PTX arrangements and I love Avi and Kevin's enthusiasm. You literally can "hear" the happiness in their singing.
I didn't see anyone else mention this, but yes Avi is Jewish, and he has been asked about singing Tradidional Christian, and especially Christmas songs, he commented that he did not care about all that, they were fun to sing, so he enjoyed himself singing them.
Haha. I know you would love this. Loved your reaction and dancing. All the voices yet still acapella. Thank you so much. Merry Christmas to you and your family from Tennessee, USA
Nice to see you back on the PTX train - and especially for their Christmas songs! PLEASE, PLEASE check out and react to another classic done in a way only they can - "Little Drummer Boy". Thanks again, and Merry Christmas!!
There is a video that came out in early December, probably after you filmed this. Give it a watch, even off screen. Yes, that was Matt. They've unleashed him on this album, and we're all here for it. You asked about beatboxing. Matt can do some basic bests. If you watch Havana, at the end Kevin plays an imaginary instrument so Matt takes the beat and Scott takes bass.
Came too late for online, but since I know I can get it later no problem. Must be an older version, since Ari is singing the bass and you are right, they are all quite younger. Concerning vibes, I get more caribbean, but none the less very joyfull and with a lot of tempo. Love it too!
Just came across a lovely one by Rehn Stillnight (she sang with Dan) entitled "Chris de Burgh - A Spaceman Came travelling (cover by Rehn Stillnight). See what you think.
In the lexicon of Christmas music, many Jews have left their mark and sometimes atheists as well. The original O Holy Night from 1847 was written by an atheist poet and song melody by a Jew. Which was then banned by the Catholic Church. Today's current redition was translated and reworked by a Unitarian minister who was also an abolitionist which explains the third verse. On the greater spectrum of music, sometimes it's not about the singers personal belief system but it's about who's receiving it.
Still my favorite ptx song. Tho their recent release of the mash-up between "Christmas Time is Here " and Pure Imagination " came close but i still slid that one into 2nd place, kicking "Silent Night" (the most recent version from last year) to 3rd and "Imagine" got kicked to 4th.
