A joint statement from the Master Chorale...

A joint statement from the Master Chorale of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale regarding their possible merger will be released Wednesday after a meeting of the Master Chorale board, according to board chairman John Rhynerson. The Pacific board already has discussed the merger

Merger talks, which began in January, have been fueled by increasing competition for donations and by the hope that consolidating the chorales’ audiences would make it easier to fill the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa

Reggae bands will lay down the beat Sunday for a daylong concert and dance to raise money for AIDS education and research. StrangeJah Cole, Queen Rejoice, Oreo & the Roots Reggae Dancers, the Crucial Allawe Band and Ras Michael will perform from noon to 11 p.m. at the Iglesia Community Center, 24671 Via Iglesia, Laguna Hills. Tickets cost $5, $3 for concert-goers under 16. Information:(714)458-6471.

Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Fabulous Thunderbirds will team up on an Oct. 2 bill at the Pacific Amphitheatre. Tickets go on sale Sunday. Kenny Loggins will play the amphitheatre Oct. 9, with tickets on sale Monday. And at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, Joe Walsh will play Sept. 16-17 and Andrew Tosh will play Sept. 18, fronting the reggae band of his late father, Peter Tosh.