When you gather with friends for Christmas, do you play the same boring songs that you heard for the last fifty years? Do you enjoy it? Me, neither. So, get the PTX 2014 Christmas album and boredom will not be an issue.
It starts with a really lovely rendition of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” that quickly goes off the rails into a Christmas/gospel /swing version. The second cut brings you back gently with the Pentatonix treatment of the enigmatic “White Winter Hymnal.” This is the cut that got me started on Pentatonix and has caused me to binge on more and more of their stuff. After you glut yourself on WWH (I recommend two dozen plays to get you warmed up) then, and only then, look up a video of their performance. The choreography of their clapping, snapping, slapping routine is really cool. But you will be distracted from the electric vocals if you first focus on their complicated hand action.
Cut 3 is a very nice, but very conventional, rendition of Sleigh Ride. But never fear, it’s followed by a calypso version of Winter Wonderland!
#5 is the title cut: That’s Christmas to Me. It will probably inspire a sentimental tear or two. The vocals are superb, giving the baritone singer the spotlight for a while.
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy has no words as well as no instruments (hey, it’s a cappella, remember?) Think it’s goofy? Give it a chance. It won the group a Grammy.
The last of eleven cuts is a magnificent rendition of Disneys Frozen theme. Now, darn it, I have to get the Frozen DVD so I can watch that again!
Through all this musical wonderfulness, keep reminding yourself: there are no instruments. Just voices, microphones, and immense talent. Hooray for PTX!
