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Playing violin and singing in churches since childhood, then developing a love for the piano and acoustic guitar, Joe Manuel poured his experiences into the arrangements of his recent solemn singer/songwriter project, The Hymnal. This album is a collection of favorite hymns in re-imagined arrangements; The acoustic guitar sits in the driver's seat and only a violin, piano, and voices join in as companions.
Born in a pastor's home in Long Beach, California, church songs became the norm, but it wasn't until attending Vanguard University in Costa Mesa that his love for old hymns developed. The wealth of theology and word imagery in the lyrics, the personal stories of the writers, and the unforgettable melodies were more than enough to motivate this making of a hymn album that would place familiar tunes inside a new and creative acoustic setting.