An a capella group known as Pentatonix has recently released a holiday rendition of “Silent Night.” This classic carol is given new life by this five person group. Their presentation features clear and poetic rendition combined with thrilling vocal harmonies. The song has already received almost 20 million views on Youtube, and it shows every sign of being the new standard version of this holiday standard.
“Silent Night” has been a part of Christmas for nearly two hundred years. It was first performed in Austria on Christmas Even in the year 1818. Since then it has grown in popularity until it is one of the most well known songs in the world. Pentatonix chose to approach this international holiday standard in a way that was both respectful and modern. Great attention was paid to their vocal tenor and the quality of the recording, as the auditory presentation is always an important part of any rendition of a standard. This is why they chose to stage their cover of “Silent Night” in an ancient stone-built cathedral.
Singing is one of the most profoundly human of all activities, and the choice of what to sing and where to sing it may often be as significant as the physical act itself. As the art form of singing a capella involves the direct manipulation of a body of air by a team of people working together, the acoustical space chosen to sing a song often profoundly informs the song itself. A capella groups have always adored the hard reflective surfaces and the enormous cavernous depths of a cathedral. Their conscious use of resonance and echo effects reflects their understanding of the space in which they sing and their song within it.
