Seraphic Fire's 2008-2009 season will feature the debut of its chamber orchestra, an expansion to nine programs, and a return to performances in Palm Beach County.
The ''Firebird Chamber Orchestra'' will premiere at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Oct. 9-12 with the first of three nonvocal programs. Artistic director Patrick Dupré Quigley will lead the ensemble in Telemann's Don Quichotte, Vivaldi's Concerto for 4 Violins, Barber's Adagio for Strings and David Diamond's Rounds.
Music of life and death will follow Nov. 21-23 with Bach's cantata Ich habe genug and Schubert's Death and the Maiden quartet in the arrangement for string orchestra. On Jan. 18 the ensemble will pair Mozart with his antagonist Salieri in music of both composers.
Seraphic Fire's season will open Sept. 25-29 with a program of Cuban Baroque music featuring the choir and members of the Firebird Chamber Orchestra. Seraphic Fire's gospel concerts have apparently become institutionalized with its ''annual'' program looking at New Orleans jazz and gospel Oct. 30-Nov. 2 with Quigley's father, attorney Bill Quigley, as guest narrator.
Another annual event, Handel's Messiah, will take place Dec. 19 at the Arsht Center. A Seraphic Fire concert will explore choral music of the Russian Orthodox church from ancient chant to John Tavener Feb. 12-15. The choir and orchestra will join forces for Pergolesi's Stabat Mater April 16-19, and the season will close with a program that again mixes Jewish and Christian sacred choral music May 14-17.
All of the orchestra programs will be presented at the Arsht Center's Knight Concert Hall. The choir programs will take place at Seraphic Fire's regular church venues in Coral Gables, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale, with the addition of the Harriet Himmel Theater in West Palm Beach. Subscriptions are from $81 to $295. Call 305-476-0260.
