Marcia Hines TV Special To Air On Christmas Eve

Music legend Marcia Hines will appear on our screens on Christmas Eve (Sunday, 24 December), with a celebration of her new album, The Gospel According To Marcia, airing as a television special.

Starting at 4:30 pm AEDT on the ABC, The Gospel According To Marcia will feature music from the album as Hines tells stories about her childhood and early memories in Australia.

According to a synopsis shared by Hines, the music television special will find Hines discussing the pivotal moments behind her new album and hosting live performances while she also plans to discuss her thoughts on war, religion, looks back on working full-time as a 16-year-old mother in a foreign country, and retaining her faith.

You can watch a trailer for the music television special below.

The Gospel According To Marcia features classic soul songs, including Amazing Grace, a cover of Bill Withers’ Lean On Me, Paul Simon’s Loves Me Like A Rock, and more. You can listen to and buy the album here.

“This album represents a coming home for me,” Hines commented in a press release. “My childhood life in Boston accompanying my godmother, Flo, to church on Sunday mornings gave me joy and happiness. That same joy and happiness surrounds every song, old and new, that I've chosen for this album, and I am so proud to introduce it to you!”

Hines’ upcoming Christmas Eve television appearance comes ahead of her forthcoming return to Australian Idol. “It looks like I’m doing it again this year,” she said on the Jess Rowe Big Talk Show earlier this year. “I look forward to it.”

Discussing her original 2000s run on the show, she continued, “It was a wonderful thing to nurture and try and help people who just want to be in the entertainment business. These kids were plucked out of obscurity and thrown on the biggest TV show Australia has ever seen. And it was just before social media got crazy.”

In February, Hines appeared on the debut season of the Australian Idol reboot, an experience she felt “honoured” by. “I’m returning to Australian Idol in 2023 as a guest judge!” Hines said. “I feel honoured to have been asked to come back. Australian Idol is a great vehicle for uncovering some fantastic Australian talent. What a ride!”

Australian Idol will return on Channel 7 and 7plus on Monday, 29 January 2024.