Three concerts by local choral groups will make this coming weekend something to sing about.

Tonight at 7:30, the Westminster Community Chorus will present “Joy Around the World” at Westminster Choir College’s Bristol Chapel. The program will include Franz Josef Haydn’s “Missa Sancti Nicolai” (“Saint Nicholas Mass”), alongside arrangements of Spanish, Latin and Hebrew songs.

Also contributing to the atmosphere of diversity will be the New Jersey Gay Men’s Chorus – NJGMC, now celebrating a quarter century of existence. The group will present its 25th anniversary concert tomorrow at 8 p.m. at Princeton United Methodist Church. The special event will include guest appearances by former artistic directors. In addition, Carolyn Montgomery-Forant and Jeff Cubeta will present their original choral piece, “Rise,” as part of “The Rise Tour,” one of 24 stops on a national circuit to raise money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Rounding out the weekend, Princeton Pro Musica will introduce a piece inspired by Native American poetry as part of its season finale, “American Voices,” on Sunday at 4 p.m., at Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium. The concert will include a Princeton Pro Musica co-commission through Chorus America from composer René Clausen, “Now Talking God,” on a Navajo text, alongside works by Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, John Corigliano and Alice Parker. The choral works will be counterbalanced by an orchestral performance of “Appalachian Spring.”

Spring into choral music with my article in today’s Trenton Times:

http://www.nj.com/times-entertainment/index.ssf/2016/05/classical_music_westminster_co.html

PHOTO: “Night Chant Gods with Four Yei and Talking God” by Harrison Begay, also known as Haskay Yahne Yah (1914-2012)

More about the artist here:

http://www.adobegallery.com/artist/Harrison_Begay1637300