A February concert developed by Stratford-based performers Glynis Ranney and Mike Nadajewski featuring songs and stories about “courageous” and “extreme” acts of kindness will be the INNERchamber ensemble’s first of the new year.

“I think this concert is generating a lot of interest because that simple subject of kindness … is certainly something that everyone resonates with, and everyone needs a little bit of,” said INNERchamber artistic director Andrew Chung. “It’s just going to be a really interesting program the way it flows form one piece to another really seamlessly. It’ll be certainly uplifting. There will be melancholy moments, but it’s the kindness that shines through.”

Ranney and Nadajewski – singers and actors who have been on stage at both the Stratford and Shaw festivals – live in Stratford with their son. They aren’t strangers to the INNERchamber, but the couple’s performance Feb. 13 will be their first together.

A few of the songs Ranney and Nadajewski have chosen for the concert include Song of Bernadette by Leonard Cohen, It Takes Two by Stephen Sondheim, and Sandman’s Song and Lullaby by Englebert Humperdinck. New orchestral arrangements of these songs, along with a couple of well-known instrumental numbers, have been written by INNERchamber cellist Ben Bolt-Martin.

“He also created original underscoring to a couple of the stories and they’re quite substantial in length … basically a new composition that comes from the wellspring of his imagination,” Chung said. “I think that in itself is going to be a treat.”

In-person tickets to the show at Revival House have already sold out, but audiences can purchase access to a livestream available on demand for 48 hours after the performance, a feature INNERchamber has developed during the pandemic.

“That formula has been working well for us,” Chung said. “The video quality, the sound quality has been top notch. I’m very proud of our production crew. I think that it’s great for a concert like this, where it gives you a lot to chew on. It’s good to be able to revisit it.”

IF YOU GO

What: INNERchamber’s third concert of the season – Kindness – featuring Mike Nadajewski and Glynis Ranney.

When: Feb. 13. Pre-concert chat begins at 6:30 p.m. Concert begins at 7 p.m.

Where: Revival House, 70 Brunswick St., and online.

Tickets: $40 for adults. Student and arts worker discounts are available. If purchasing a takeaway meal, pre-order by 3 p.m. Feb. 11.

More info: www.innerchamber.ca

From www.stratfordbeaconherald.com

Photo: Mike Nadajewski and Glynis Ranney. © 2012  Marzullo.