US choirs plan diverse season-opening concerts

Several choral groups are opening new seasons with programs that highlight cultural diversity, familiar songs and original or returning works. Alexandria Choral Society’s “Tapestry: A Festival of Belonging” will feature music by Nebal Maysaud and poetry about the immigrant experience by city Poet Laureate Cristi Donoso. In Scranton, Arcadia Chorale’s “Perpetual Light: Luminous Voices of Memory & Renewal” will celebrate America’s musical traditions through works by composers from around the world, including Morten Lauridsen’s “Mid-Winter Songs.” The Choral Project will launch its 30th anniversary season in Santa Clara with “AutumnSongs: GLOW,” combining Broadway and contemporary selections with the first performance in a decade of Stephen Schwartz’s a cappella work “Kéramos.”