The Grammy-nominated Seraphic Fire and the Firebird Chamber Orchestra, will open their 11th season, titled Simple Gifts, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church, 126 SE 15th Rd. in Miami. The musical season will run through Oct. 21, with concerts at various locations in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

According to a press release from the group, it was the words, "Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free," that inspired Aaron Copland to write his most memorable work, Appalachian Spring. The hymns are a direct link to America’s early history and has been an inspiration for composers over the ages. Simple Gifts is a celebration of refreshingly simple Americana, with music from the Shaker tradition, as well as Copland, Samuel Barbar, and Morten Lauridsen.

Now entering its second decade, Seraphic Fire has become one of South Florida’s most important performing arts organizations and has a national reputation for choral music excellence. Led by Founder and Artistic Director Patrick Dupré Quigley, who brings the best ensemble singers from around the country to South Florida, Seraphic Fire performs a repertoire ranging from Gregorian chant to newly commissioned works. The ensemble’s recordings of "Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem" and "A Seraphic Fire Christmas" were nominated for two, 2012 Grammy awards. It was the only choir in North or South America to be nominated, and was the only classical ensemble to be nominated for two separate projects.

Other concerts will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 100 NE Mizner Blvd. in Boca Raton; at 7:30 p.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church, 536 Coral Way in Coral Gables; at 8 p.m. Saturday at All Saints Episcopal Church, 333 Tarpon Dr. in Fort Lauderdale and at 4 p.m. Oct. 21 at Miami Beach Community church, 1620 Drexel Ave. in Miami Beach.

Tickets are $38 each and may be purchased by calling 305-285-9060 or at www.SeraphicFire.org.

Belen boys to wear pink

Hats off to the students at Belen Jesuit Preparatory, an all-boys school at 500 SW 127th St, who will be wearing pink throughout the week of Oct. 15, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. During the week students will wear pink wristbands customized with the school’s logo and a pink ribbon outlined in blue. Each wristband costs $5, and proceeds will benefit the Baptist Health Breast Center Foundation. Students and faculty members will also have the opportunity to purchase blue and pink ties to wear throughout the week. The ties are $20 each; $6 of which will go towards purchasing needed items for breast cancer patients at Baptist Hospital.

The school’s central patio located at the heart of the campus, will be decorated with pink ribbons and a banner that declares, "Real Men Wear Pink." In addition, all tests and quizzes during the month of October will be printed on pink paper.

Even the school’s newly created bowling team will wear pink ribbons ans wristbands during their games throughout this month, and the varsity football team will wear pink socks during the homecoming game against Mater Academy at 3 p.m. on Oct 26.

On Oct. 19, the school’s Breast Cancer Awareness Day, the food served in the cafeteria will have elements of pink. A special video produced by students will debut and the school website, www.belenjesuit.org, will have a pink ribbon on its homepage and the school’s Facebook page will also have a photo of the school "going pink."