The Coeur d’Alene Chorale wants to give the community something to cherish in the 2023-2024 season, with the concept "Forever Ours."

“Each of our four concerts is themed around a certain virtue or characteristic, that no matter what happens those virtues are everlasting and will always belong to you," Artistic Director Joshua Chism said.

The four chorale concerts will each present a different virtue to explore "forever ours" in depth.

The first, in October, will be centered around love and all the different facets of love. Physical, brotherly, overcoming, romantic, enduring, godly or otherwise. The concert will feature Vivaldi’s "Gloria" and a lineup of other pieces that dive deep into the dimensions of love.

The second concert for Christmas will explore light, complete with a candlelight carol, with music from around the world in a traditional celebration of the holiday.

The third concert in April will celebrate life and liberty with music that has been used as a form of overcoming.

That concert will draw from elements of civil war patriotism, feelings from "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and feature songs of liberation and overcoming adversity.

“I’m also so excited, we’ll be premiering a brand new choral work composed for us, for this season and for that concert,” Chism said.

The yet untitled and unrevealed piece will be written by nationally recognized chorale composer Patty Drennan.

To lighten things up for the fourth and final summer Pops Concert, the theme will be laughter.

“We’ll have musical theater, light comic opera, caricature pieces, accents, costumes and so much more,” Chism said. “It won’t be stuffy and it’ll be fun.”

The totality of the series is designed to inspire people and to bring them together to feel deeply.

“'Forever Ours' means no matter what happens in life, life is always yours,” Chism said. “You are always deserving of love. Spiritually and holistically is always yours, whatever that means to you. Autonomy and your ability to overcome is forever yours. The idea is to celebrate these characteristics. These elements and these virtues that are so special and innate to our humanity.”

To start the season, the Coeur d’Alene Chorale is holding fall auditions, which began Sunday and continue Tuesday, Aug. 22, and Thursday, Aug. 24, at Peace Lutheran Church, 8134 N. Meyer Road, Post Falls. For audition times and to sign up, visit choralecda.com/sing-with-us.

To participate as a singer, there are monthly dues that pay for things like renting the rehearsal facilities and the Chorale Retreat.

Selected singers will have to attend a mandatory retreat from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, and attend around 80% of rehearsals to perform in concerts.

Weekly rehearsals stop through the summer, but resume from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays starting Aug. 29. All rehearsals will be at the Peace Lutheran Church.

Auditions will begin with a simple warmup and basic tonal memories. Chism will be testing ranges and sight reading skills.

“It’s pretty chill,” he said. “10 minutes or so.”

Chism will also explain the time commitment and the culture of the ensemble during rehearsals.

“Once you audition to be in the group, you’re just in the group until you want to stop being in the group,” he said.

And singers will get to be a part of the concert series "Forever Ours," which can be forever theirs.