The Oratorio Chorale begins their 40th season with “Musical Fireworks,” a program that includes music by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Monteverdi, Schutz, and J.S. Bach’s aria “Jauchzet,” featuring soprano Jessica Petrus and trumpeter Betty Rines. The concert includes the Maine premiere of the “Kyrie” from “Festival Mass” by Bates College’s Scott Ordway.

The program, which takes place Nov. 16 and 17, also introduces Emily Isaacson, the Chorale’s new director, who took over the baton when Peter Frewen retired after 27 years with the Chorale.

The Chorale will be joined by the Portland Brass Quintet, the Maine Chamber Ensemble, organist Ray Cornils, and soloists soprano Jessica Petrus, mezzo-soprano Thea Lobo, and John D. Adams, baritone.

Director Emily Isaacson’s “Notes” state that the beginning and end of this program celebrate the power of singing by highlighting a polychoral compositional technique made famous during the first half of the Baroque Period in Venice. The technique (defined from the Italian as “broken chairs”) describes the division of the choir into musically distinct groups.

The program opens with Mozart’s “Venite Populi,” described by Isaacson as  “a song of welcome.” It is an example of the tension in Mozart’s compositional life between music he was paid to write referring to the tight restrictions placed on him by the church) and music he chose to compose. In “Venite Populi”, Mozart follows some of the rules, Isaacson says, but he adds “substantial drama and excitement …in the antiphonal style.”

Isaacson writes that the Maine premiere of American composer Scott Ordway’s “Kyrie from “The Festival Mass” uses the unusual instrumentation of voices, organ, strings, timpani and brass quintet.

Soprano Jessica Petrus has soloed with many notable conductors, among them Nic McGegan and Simon Megill. She was featured in Master Classes with Christina Pluhar as part of the Carnegie Hall Weill Institute. In addition, Jessica and her sister, soprano Juliet Petrus, specialize in duet repertoire for high voices featuring music from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Mezzo-soprano Thea Lobo has appeared under conductors Gunter Schuller, Harry Christophers and many others, and has been featured by the Firebird Ensemble, Carmel Bach Festival, Bermuda Festival and Europisches Musikfest Stuttgart.

As a soloist bass/baritone John D Adams’ concert repertoire ranges from the cantatas and oratorios of Bach, Handel and Haydn to premieres of new works. He has appeared with orchestras on both coasts of the United States.

The Portland Brass Quintet is one of the area’s most versatile chamber music ensembles. Critically acclaimed for its high quality performances and wide-ranging repertoire, the group is also well known for its ability to present concerts in a relaxed, personable style. Quintet members are Betty Rines; trumpet, Mark Tipton, trumpet; Sophie Flood, horn: Mark Manduca, trombone; and Michael Milnarik, tuba.

Ray Cornils is the Municipal Organist for the City of Portland, a post he has held since 1990. He has also served the First Parish Church, UCC in Brunswick, Maine as Minister of Music since 1987 where he has built an extensive music program of five vocal and two hand bell choirs.

Performances will take place on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Brunswick, and Sunday, Nov. 17 at 3 p.m. at Woodfords Congregational Church, Portland.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, half price for students, and free for children under 12. Tickets may be purchased from members of the Chorale, at Gulf of Maine Books in Brunswick; Now You’re Cooking, and Lisa Marie’s Made in Maine in Bath; Book Review in Falmouth; Sherman’s Books and Stationery in Freeport; Clayton’s in Yarmouth; and Starbird Music and Longfellow Books in Portland.

For ticket information, contact 207-798-7985 or www.oratoriochorale.org.

Concert sponsors are Bath Savings Institution and Brann & Isaacson, with additional support from Bates College and the Davis Family Foundation.