Having heard his first hymn festival in 1945, Paul recast the format, adding the unique approach of bringing a number of hymns together under a theme with appropriate readings interspersed. He also brought back the ancient practice of alternation during the singing of hymns. He started doing this at weekly services at Mt. Olive, eventually exposing a wider audience to it through hymn festivals. Paul’s idea for the hymn festival began to germinate when he presented annual organ recitals at Mt. Olive: “I would always begin and end with a hymn; many people would come to those recitals, and I found that they thoroughly enjoyed singing the hymns. So finally, instead of doing a recital with a hymn at the beginning and the end, I did a program with hymns only. It caught on like wildfire, and I have subsequently presented hymn festivals all over the world.” Concordia St Paul Memorial Service Program  His musical compositions are internationally known. His organ works are extensively used in worship services, recitals and in teaching. His choral music is widely used by church and college choirs here and abroad. His motet, "E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come" is regarded as a classic and has been frequently recorded. His life and works are the subject of a doctoral dissertation which details his career spanning more than fifty years and analyzes his organ works. The Journey Was Chosen: The Life and Work of Paul Manz (2007) by Scott M. Hyslop, Morning Star Music Publishers, St. Louis, MO 10. Paul O. Manz - The Enduring Legacy of the Hymn Festival (2014) by James W. Freese, Lutheran University Press, Minneapolis, MN