Stunning A Capella Performance Of 'How Great Thou Art' By Pentatonix

Nov 30, 2021 by apost team

The a cappella group Pentatonix has risen to become household names over the years. They first became known after a video of three of the members, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying and Kirstin Maldonado, singing a cover of "Telephone" by Lady Gaga went viral in 2010. The three members were shocked by the attention and decided to add two more a capella singers to the group. Through a mutual friend they met Avi Kaplan and on Youtube they found Kevin Olusola. 

The group went on to compete and win the third season of "The Sing-Off" in 2011. They won a record deal with Sony Music, but were sadly dropped from the label shortly after the show ended. However, the group did not give up and decided to form their own Youtube channel to showcase their unique and popular music. In 2021 their Youtube channel had 19 million followers and 5 billion views. 

The group's debut album is called "PTX, Volume 1" and it was released in 2012, the same year as their Christmas album "PTXmas." in 2013, their third album "PTX, Vol. II" made it to number 1 on Billboard's Independent chart and to number 10 on the Billboard 200. They have won three Grammys. Two of which were in 2015 and 2016 for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella, and the third was for Best Country Duo or Group Performance in 2017.

That same year, Kaplan left the group and was replaced by Matt Sallee. Also in 2017, the group performed with Jennifer Hudson and they sang a beautiful rendition of "How Great Thou Art." The performance was around the holidays and really put everyone in the Christmas spirit. Keep reading to learn more about the Pentatonix and their wonderful a cappella version of a classic hymn. 

The group Pentatonix started out in 2010, but the founding members had known each other for years. "We had been in choir for most of our high school careers," explained Grassi. Being in the same choir class allowed the students to bond and collaborate creatively and together they released their cover of "Telephone" by Lady Gaga. 

After seeing a positive reaction from viewers online, Grassi, Hoying and Maldonado wanted to audition for "The Sing-Off." They decided to add two more members to complete their ensemble. This is when they invited Kaplan and Olusola to join, however they didn't really come together until right before "The Sing-Off" auditions. Olusola recalled: "Avi and I came in the day before the audition for the show, so that was very nerve-racking … We had this musical synergy that I had never felt before."

Now that the group has been performing together for years, they are more than just co-workers or even friends. Hoying shared, "We're like a family, to the point where we spend all our time together and sometimes we don't get along." Grassi clarified, "We get snappy." That closeness seems to work to their advantage. Olusola said, "Now that we understand each other so well, we understand how to make things work because we know each person's dynamic and character." 

The road to success wasn't easy for Pentatonix. In 2011, after winning "The Sing-Off" the group was dropped from their record label. "When we ended up getting dropped, it was really, really, really sad," Hoying expressed. "Reality show contracts are pretty rough." This experience pushed the group to keep trying and according to Hoying, after they succeeded on Youtube they "got signed to a bigger, better label."

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One of the group's favorite genres is Christmas music and they have released three Christmas albums throughout their careers. Every year around the holidays we can expect to see a fantastic and festive performance from Pentatonix. Maldonado once said, "A capella and Christmas music really go well together. It feels in the spirit of Christmas, how jolly and fun Christmas songs are." Hoying added that making Christmas music has been a very smart move for the group. 

In 2017, Pentatonix got the chance to perform with the talented Jennifer Hudson and they shared a beautiful rendition of "How Great Thou Art." The song is a classic hymn that comes from Sweden and uses a traditional Swedish melody. The lyrics are based on a poem written by Carl Boberg in Mönsterås, Sweden, in 1885. The chorus of the song goes:

"Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art"

The version of the song performed by Hudson and Pentatonix is enchanting. The power of just their voices is enough to put anyone in a good mood. Hudson takes the lead in the song and is beautifully supported by Pentatonix and together they have performed one of the most moving renditions of "How Great Thou Art." 

Many commenters stopped to share their reactions to all of the talent displayed in the video. One person pointed out, "Anybody who sings knows that key change took a lot of work." Another commenter said, "This song is just the latest example of why Pentatonix is so good. Sure, The Trio can all hold their own as soloists. But they all also excel at being backups for others." 

Did you enjoy this performance? What is your favorite hymn or Christmas song? Let us know and be sure to forward this to your loved ones.