COEUR d'ALENE - Northwest Sacred Music Chorale offers something a little special for those with impressive pipes, says Gaynell Coppess.

A challenge.

"The ability of the group seems to keep growing," said Coppess, conductor of the chorale this year. "This is probably the Coeur d'Alene version of the Spokane Symphony Chorale."

In its ninth year and aiming to be one of the top local singing groups, the chorale sets the bar high for repertoire, she said.

Selections run the gamut of musical genres, Coppess said, from contemporary pop songs to patriotic music to spirituals. Classical pieces like Saint-Saens' Christmas Oratorio and Durufle's Requiem are in store for upcoming concerts.

"We do major works by major composers," Coppess said. "It's nice to have a chorale of this ability in the Coeur d'Alene area."

There is a high demand for their selections, she said, particularly major works that were originally written for church performances.

Such pieces often require large ensembles that churches don't have the resources to accommodate, she said.

"Unless the church has a lot of money behind it and an incredible staff, they usually don't do those major works anymore," she said.

Ranging between 60 and 70 members, the chorale puts on back-to-back weekend performances three times a year, she said.

The group has performed in Lourdes Cathedral in Spokane, she added, and a smaller audition ensemble within the group performed at a black tie event at the Kroc Center.

Extra Christmas concerts have been scheduled to appease demand, she said.

"We were selling out and people couldn't get seats," she said. "The audiences keep growing."

The group is looking to grow its membership, too, she said.

Auditions are scheduled tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 in the sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church at 521 E. Lakeside Ave. in Coeur d'Alene.

Any age is welcome, but experience is recommended. The ability to read music is a must.

"The standards are fairly high," Coppess said. "We do have voices that aren't trained but are very good, and most people who sing in here have sung in groups around the country."

Practices are from 6:30 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday at the Community Presbyterian Church in Post Falls.

Members hail from far beyond Coeur d'Alene, including Plummer, Worley, Spokane and Sandpoint, she said.

"People are coming in from a lot of different directions to sing in this group," Coppess said.