Join us for The Journey (Sunday March 15, 2026)
The Isabel Voices Presents
The Journey — A Powerful Concert of Healing, Resilience, and Light
Sunday, March 15, 2026 (2:30 PM)
The Isabel Voices will present “The Journey” on Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 2:30 PM at the Jennifer Velva Bernstein Performance Hall, The Isabel. This deeply expressive concert explores urgent ecological and emotional themes and takes the audience on a powerful journey of hope told through stories of healing, resilience, and light.
The Isabel Voices are thrilled to welcome acclaimed Juno Award–winning soprano Kathleen Radke as featured soloist for this concert.
We are also thrilled to welcome artist JP Longboat, Kanyen’kehà:ka (Mohawk), Turtle clan, SIx Nations of the Grand River, who will join The Isabel Voices to enhance the immersive experience of The Wound in the Water**, with water-themed artistic installations in the foyer of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, and a storytelling presence within the concert hall performance space for this piece.
Program Highlights:
The Wound in the Water – Kim André Arnesen (libretto by Euan Tait).
** CANADIAN PREMIERE
This newly celebrated oratorio — scored for soprano solo, choir, piano, and strings — has quickly become a landmark of contemporary choral expression. Drawing on text by poet Euan Tait, the work confronts urgent ecological and human crises, exploring the consequences of Mammon — the love of greed — and the deep “wounding of our world” and humanity. Its narrative journey moves from division and exile toward empathy, shared song, and healing, ultimately pointing to connection and hope even amid uncertainty. Arnesen’s music balances the gravity of its themes with lyrical, lush harmonic language that enchants both performers and audiences alike.
To learn about Kim André Arnesen, click here
To read the full libretto by Euan Tait, click here
The Lighthouse Keeper – Jake Runestad
This evocative choral piece by American composer Jake Runestad unfolds a series of reflective vignettes rooted in poetic images of life, loss, beauty, and renewal. Its texts speak to the human relationship with nature and one another, offering an emotional arc from struggle toward light and community uplift. Runestad’s music is known for its rich textural colors and profound emotional impact, guiding listeners through contemplative soundscapes that resonate deeply with our shared human experience.
To learn about Jake Runestad, click here
Light of a Clear Blue Morning – (arr. Craig Hella Johnson; words & music Dolly Parton)
Originally written by Dolly Parton in 1977 as an anthem of personal liberation and dawn after darkness, this piece has become beloved for its message of optimism and resilience. This choral arrangement by Craig Hella Johnson (composer of Considering Matthew Shepard) expands Parton’s original song into a radiant vocal celebration of light, community, and new beginnings.
To learn about Craig Hella Johnson, click here
“your gentle greeting” – Daniel Meeks (from a poem by Emily Brontë)
A choral interpretation of Emily Brontë’s “I Know Not How It Falls On Me”, written in response to feelings of isolation and loneliness experienced after moving to a new city. Originally conceived as a reflection on loneliness, this composition became, over time, something deeper: an acknowledgement of despair, yes - but also of hope. It is an invitation to lay down one’s burdens and remain open to celebrating the world’s quiet offerings - the gentle greetings that ground us, connect us, and welcome us home.
Featured Soloist: Juno Award–Winning Soprano Kathleen Radke
The concert will feature Juno Award–winning soprano Kathleen Radke, an acclaimed Canadian soloist recognized for her refined musicianship and expressive vocal artistry.
She is a featured soloist on the 2020 Juno Award–winning Ottawa Bach Choir recording of Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schütz: Motets, which received the Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year (Vocal or Choral Performance). Kathleen was praised as one of the soloists in Gramophone Magazine for her "exquisite" contribution to this recording.
Kathleen holds an Opera Diploma from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Bachelor of Music and Performance Diploma from McMaster University. Operatic highlights include Pamina and Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Najade (Ariadne auf Naxos), Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica) and the Princess in R. Murray Schafer’s Princess of the Stars.
As a member of the Festival Choir of the European Music Festival under the direction of Helmuth Rilling, she has performed in several prestigious venues across Europe. She also had the opportunity to tour China as part of the 16th Annual Meet in Beijing Festival and has been a featured soloist on several European tours, including multiple performances at Bachfest Leipzig. She has sung in Germany, Italy, England, Austria, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Mexico, and with several Canadian orchestras and choirs, including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and Canadian Centennial Choir.
Kathleen has previously appeared with The Isabel Voices in their acclaimed performances of Considering Matthew Shepard, Creation, and The Lost Birds, bringing emotional depth and luminous vocal presence to each collaboration.
Special Guest: JP Longboat
JP Longboat is a multi-disciplinary artist, Kanyen’kehà:ka (Mohawk), Turtle clan, who grew up along the Grand River, Dish with One Spoon, Haldimand Deed territory, Ontario.
He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree through combined education at the University of Michigan and the Ontario College of Art and Design, and has worked as a visual artist, graphic designer, actor, storyteller, dancer and choreographer.
As a First Nations artist, he has received comprehensive culturally based professional training and practice in traditional and contemporary forms of Visual Art, Theatre, Storytelling, and Dance. He has trained, collaborated, and performed with many professional theatre and dance companies across Canada.
Longboat’s multi-disciplinary art-making roots itself in the cultural ways of his people and is inspired by the legacy of First Nations’ artistic practices:
“As a storyteller committed to truth and reconciliation, it is my responsibility to keep alive the stories of these lands and waters for the knowledge and understanding of all peoples. Haudenosaunee have been here for thousands of years, the ancestors are here in the land, they lived in deep reciprocal relations with this lake and these waterways.”
As we look to reset the relationship and seek the guidance to live in the right relationship with this landscape, the ancestors are calling us back to remember the teachings and to activate the knowledge.”
“I am so grateful and honoured to collaborate through our collective artistic voices and stand in the circle for Ohné:kanos, ‘the Precious One,’ the Waters. And like those before me, I stand in this place and remember my responsibilities and agreements, to give gratitude, offer ceremony, and tell her stories.”
“The ancestors stood and spoke to her and gave their thanks, made offerings of gratitude for the well-being of the future seven generations. Being here now, we can do that through song, gesture, and story. They say Water can feel our thoughts and intentions. This event may then be an opportunity to offer a profound and beautiful reciprocity.”
About The Isabel Voices
The Isabel Voices is an ensemble rooted in Kingston, Ontario, known for creative and compelling performances that engage audiences with diverse choral repertoire and collaborative artistry. Reviewers and audiences alike praise the ensemble for its expressive musical storytelling and vibrant performances that reflect the lived experiences and emotional landscapes of today. Artistic Director Darrell Christie leads the group in a season that balances cherished classics and compelling contemporary works.
Tickets & Event Information
Tickets for The Journey are available for both in-person attendance and livestream. Adult, senior, and student pricing is offered.