The Gospel According to Marcia

With a career spanning five decades, a back catalogue of 22 albums selling 2.6 million copies, and garnering countless chart-topping singles and multi-platinum records globally, Ms Marcia Hines is a shining beacon of experience, sass and talent and a welcome addition to the line-up for this Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

The first sounds to float from the stage were the assured a Cappella strains of ‘Amazing Grace’.  Thanks be to the gods of singers that a superb artist such as Hines continues to shine, her voice seeming to grow warmer and more nuanced with age.  The immediate and appropriate-for-these-times follow on was Pete Seeger’s ‘Study War No More/Down By The Riverside’ with Gospel-perfect harmonies from Adelaide’s own Charmaine Jones with her Gospo Collective plus Hines’ own backup singers including Juanita Tippins. A rousing tempo shift gave the audience their first moment to clap along with the choir.

Marcia Hines invited us to “whoop and holler” to our hearts’ content and promised to share the music of her church-going, Boston childhood as she experienced it by the side of her inspiring godmother ‘Flo’.  Songs like ‘How great Thou Art’ and ‘What A Friend We Have In Jesus’ set the scene for beautiful cooperation between soloist and choir with a swinging rhythm shift and staccato clap pattern in the latter, more reminiscent of the Aretha Franklin version, which the audience gleefully participated in.

With Jimmy Cliff’s ‘Many Rivers To Cross’ the black-robed choir adorned with silky gold stoles provided spine tingling accompaniment to perfectly accent Hines’ vocals.  The song appeared on her 1981 album Take It From the Boys but this concert version was possibly even better with its layered choral backing.  Following with a Bill Withers cover the singer mused that at this point in our history, we humans should all be there for each other offering strength as needed.  ‘Lean On Me’ also featured the choir and was delivered with a laid back but joyous reggae feel.

I was fortunate as a young girl to witness Marcia Hines own the Capitol stage in Sydney as the first woman of colour – anywhere – to play Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar.  Her emotional interpretation has remained with me and as a subtle, creative piano introduction morphed into ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’ my night was made.  Hines recounted lovingly how this song altered the course of her career and that she never tires of singing it.

Paying tribute to her much loved godmother and singer Florence James, “this one’s for you Flo”, Hines launched into ‘Abide With Me’.  Starting with a tender blend of soloist and choir, Hines’ voice then soared powerfully over both band and choral accompaniment.  With stories of leading her blind mentor into church choir stalls where children were not really allowed, the singer spoke of the deep influence these experiences gave her.

Paul Simon’s ‘Loves Me Like A Rock’ took the gig, and audience, to another level of energy and celebration with a blistering piano solo from Stu Hunter.  A rock version of Cat Steven’s ‘Morning Has Broken’ made an appearance and still had the audience joining in although performed (somewhat oddly) in common time instead of the original .  More stories were told of audience members or even strangers in the street seeking out Hines to let her know the impact her songs have had on them, and how these connections mean a great deal to the singer.  Another of her signature songs ‘From The Inside’ was Hines’ first top ten single in Australia in 1975 and a track on the Marcia Shines album.  Her voice and seemingly effortless sound still touches your soul and you lean in for more.

‘Take Me To The King’ is a Kirk Franklin song recorded by Tamela Mann that remained in the US gospel charts for nineteen consecutive weeks in 2012.  Again, the combination of Hines and choir was exquisite.  The gospel song from 2000 ‘Shackles (Praise You)’ by Mary Mary was another chance for the choir to shine bright alongside Hines and by this time I really think the audience wanted to be up and dancing.

With only Stu Hunter’s gentle piano, Hines began James Taylor’s ‘Fire and Rain’, a long-time, symbolic favourite of hers as it was in the charts as she departed Boston and the first song she heard on radio when she arrived in Sydney.  As band and choir joined in, haunting melody and emotion swept over the theatre.  ‘Oh Holy Day’ was followed by another Marcia Hines hit, ‘You’ from her 1977 album Ladies and Gentlemen.  As a finale, George Harrison’s ‘My Sweet Lord’ was perfect and we were on our feet at last, wishing the night wasn’t over.

As much as Ms Marcia Hines is the star of this show, the choir, the outstanding musicians, sound engineer/producer John Vasey and effervescent musical director/drummer Joe Accaria give the production depth and cohesion.  It is a celebration of life, community and history and attests once again to the astonishing vocal and musical influence Hines has had on her adopted home.  The Gospel According To Marcia is a triumph.

Lisa Lanzi

Photographer: Claudio Raschella