NASHVILLE, Tenn.
Advancing the thematic arc of her widely embraced 2017 and 2019 Advent recordings, Immanuel—The Acoustic Sessions (Deluxe) is now available from acclaimed singer/songwriter Melanie Penn. Alongside nine previously recorded tracks, the album—produced by Penn’s longtime collaborator Ben Shive (Andrew Peterson, Ellie Holcomb)—showcases the addition of three originals composed by Penn as well as a fresh arrangement of “Angels from the Realms of Glory.”
With contributions from some of Nashville’s top roots musicians, including Ron Block of Alison Krauss & Union Station, Andrew Osenga, and Nathan Duggar, among others, the new songs featured on Immanuel—The Acoustic Sessions give voice to various characters in the Christmas Story. “Follow the Star (Magi)” is a hopeful folk shuffle written from the perspective of the Wise Men as they traveled to worship the newborn Savior; “Immanuel (Shepherd)” is a song of adoration from a young shepherd upon hearing the angels’ proclamation of Jesus’ birth; and “There is Room for You Here (Innkeeper)” offers a stirring invitation for Love to occupy not only Bethlehem’s manger, but the throne of our hearts. Penn also presents a bluegrass-infused take on the traditional carol “Angels from the Realms of Glory” featuring a new chorus she and Shive co-wrote.
“Immanuel continues to grow as a project, and hopefully listeners will keep finding it,” Penn shares. “This new, complete version of Immanuel is a reimagining of these songs to reflect my life in Nashville and new collaborators. I’m surrounded by amazing folk and country musicians and it’s a thrill to draw some of them into these acoustic renderings.”
Immanual—The Acoustic Sessions was inspired by Penn’s bestselling 2017 concept project, Immanuel, a retelling of Christ’s birth through the lens of its key figures. The set reached #1 on Amazon’s Christian, Worship, and Holiday download charts and was followed by 2019’s Immanuel: The Folk Sessions. The latter six-song EP includes guest appearances from Dove Award-winning singer/songwriter Sandra McCracken and indie folk favorite The Arcadian Wild.
“The Immanuel songs were birthed during a pretty heartbreaking Christmas I spent by myself,” Penn says of the concept’s genesis. “In the midst of that solitary Advent season, I wrote the songs that became an album that now connects me with so many people. The holidays can be difficult and lonely, and we don’t talk about that enough. Many feel they are on the outside looking in, but through the Immanuel songs and the opportunity I have to perform them every season, I want to help comfort people wherever they may be and draw them into the awe-inspiring story of Christ’s birth.”
