Country legend Melinda Schneider brings Songs of Hope fundraiser to Albury

She was performing in A Farewell To Doris when the encounter occurred with the Anglican priest, who was a friend of some of her long-time fans.

"I met him after the show and I thought: 'You have to marry us!'" she said.

"My partner Mark Gable is the singer from The Choirboys and I thought if anyone would get Mark's sense of humour it's Father Peter."

They wed in spring 2021 on the South Coast, which they have called home for 12 years.

"We were married on the beach," Schneider said.

"I told Father Peter to wear his most outrageous robes and he turned up in his golden and red robes!"

Now the multi-Golden Guitar Award winner and chart-topping singer-songwriter will sing an emotional, intimate and soulful matinee, Songs of Hope, at St Matthew's Church on Saturday, May 27.

She will perform some of her own hits, some spiritual classics and love songs from Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Doris Day.

It will be a fundraising event for St Matthew's Emergency Care and share hope in tough times.

"We're probably going through one of the most difficult times in history in my lifetime after three years of COVID and people are doing it tough," she said.

"There isn't enough support for people in a lot of ways. But St Matthew's Church does a lot of great work."

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Schneider said she was passionate about mental health, having experienced depression in 2018 and 2019.

"I'd done 25 years of being a perfectionist and workaholic; I had a child at 40 and breastfed for four-and-a-half years true to my perfectionist nature. I had to really change my life; now I'm a recovering perfectionist!"

Schneider also supported the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program through her wellness talks.

"I'm very passionate about that," she said.

Songs of Hope starts at 3pm. Visit TryBooking for tickets.

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