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Our Review

A cappella music rocks! Stripping away the supporting instrumentation provides the acid test for singers. The naked human voice reveals a lot about its owner's musical talents, and the challenge of harmonization only multiplies the difficulty--and the dividends when the music is done well. And Marcoux Corner does the music very, very well indeed!

Marcoux Corner is an a cappella male quartet consisting of Brent Thorson (tenor), Kevin Taylor (2nd tenor), Joshua Nathan Baesler (baritone), and Eric Hansen Pantenaude (bass). This is no cutesy "boy band" full of cloying gimmicks; no, this is just outstanding harmonization, straight up.

So if you favor a cappella holiday music, Marcoux Corner's Tidings is a terrific treat! The four men present ten well-known carols with joyous, but not juvenile, arrangements. These voices are perfectly matched. Pantenaude's bass is incredibly deep and rich, and his lead makes "Away in a Manger" extra-special. I usually am not a big fan of "All I Want For Christmas," but Marcoux Corner's high-energy version had me slapping my knees and swinging in my chair. The reverent harmonies in "The First Noel" and "Silent Night" are absolutely first-rate. Their creative island vision of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" includes an intro of "Jolly Old St. Nicholas"--sweet!

The obvious complaint about this excellent album is its paltry length. Thirty minutes? Come on! Couldn't Marcoux Corner come up with a few more holiday tracks? If they need ideas, they should give me a call.

Apart from the stingy length, Marcoux Corner's Tidings is a marvelous holiday pick.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2005)

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From the Web site:

The members of Marcoux Corner are: Kevin Taylor (2nd tenor); Brent Thorson (tenor); Joshua Nathan Baesler (baritone); Eric Hansen Pantenaude (bass).

Marcoux Corner, the name, was hatched when five guys drove by an abandoned old roadside bar in northern MN one day and joked about naming their garage band after the dilapidated structure. It stuck, the band parted ways, but 3 of its founding members kept the band alive when they formed an A Cappella quartet at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Now the old bar is burned down, but the names lives on, but now it stands for great singing and amazing harmony.

Marcoux Corner

Tidings

Artist link

Track List