It isn’t truly Christmas until you hear the ubiquitous hymn, “Away in a Manger”.
This choir song was taught to most of us as children, and no matter what religion we hold, we all know the words.
Fun fact for you: although “Away in a Manger” is also known as “Luther’s Cradle Song”, it wasn’t actually written by German religious reformer Martin Luther.
It has been suggested that “Away in a Manger” is wholly American, and the first two stanzas of the song first appeared in a book in Pennsylvania in 1885.
Regardless of who wrote it, the timeless hymn has been performed by hundreds of the best singers over its centuries of existence, each who have attempted to put their own spin on the classic.
There’s room to play with this song, as there are more than 40 alternative melodies – but most people stay traditional.
If you’re a big fan of this spiritual song, you most likely already have a favorite singer who performs it.
But we’d suggest suspending judgment for a minute or two as you take a listen to this relatively new approach to the hymn by Pentatonix.
Formed in 2011, Pentatonix is an a capella quintet that has seen plenty of success over the years.
The group won the third season of the talent competition, “The Sing-Off”, and went on to win a number of Grammy Awards.
Nowadays, you’ll find them largely on YouTube, where they perform covers of hits that reel in millions of views every time.
Naturally, with voices as beautiful as theirs, Pentatonix’s version of “Away in a Manger” proved incredibly popular.
Singing a capella presents its own unique challenges, including finding a way to replicate instruments or ignore instruments entirely and rely on your voice alone.
Pentatonix uses a combination of knee slaps, hand rubbing, and finger snaps, and “la da das” to make up for the lack of a backing track – and they create a whole new sound of their own.
The music video has been filmed at a slightly random location: the middle of a forest with a bathtub, a chandelier, a lampshade, and other pieces of home furniture.
But if you can get past the location and focus solely on the music, it makes for a beautiful listen.
The filler sounds of clicks and slaps help to maintain rhythm as the singers take it in turns to sing verses, before joining their voices in harmony.
It’s refreshing to hear the group take on a buoyant tone, as some versions of “Away in a Manger” can seem a little depressing.
Given that they’re singing about the miraculous birth of baby Jesus, they handle the lyrics with just the right amount of emotion – and the video’s 23 million viewers agree, too.
One person commented:
“This is the best Accapella group on the planet. Enjoy. I don’t think this will happen again. I love you guys.”
We have to agree – there’s something incredibly special about Pentatonix that sets them well apart from the rest.
“Away in a Manger” was released on Pentatonix’s 5th studio album, “A Pentatonix Christmas”.
If you’re fans of “Away in a Manger”, you’ll probably enjoy the group’s take on other popular Christmas songs, including “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” and “Deck The Halls”.
Of course, if you haven’t yet heard “Away in a Manger”, you’ll naturally need to give that a listen first! Scroll down and click “play” in the video below to get your musical Christmas fix.
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