Chorale Coeur d'Alene presents: 'The American Spirit, Songs of Faith & Freedom'

On Sept. 25 and 26, the Salvation Army Kroc Center will resound with classic patriotic anthems as Chorale Coeur d’Alene kicks off its 2026-27 season with "The American Spirit: Songs of Faith and Freedom." The program was selected and arranged by Artistic Director Dr. Joshua Chism.

“We’re honoring the American spirit,” said Chorale Coeur d’Alene Secretary and ensemble member Janneke Ewert. “These songs are all about that and about people all across the country.”

The program features spirituals, folk songs and patriotic classics. Selections include “My Country, ’Tis of Thee,” “Amazing Grace,” “Salute to the Armed Forces,” “It Is Well With My Soul,” “Down to the River to Pray” and a folk medley featuring “I’ll Fly Away.” The grand finale will be “God Bless the U.S.A.,” originally recorded by Lee Greenwood.

Ewert said she is especially excited about the concert’s theme, which comes on the heels of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and during the nation’s 250th anniversary year. Many of the featured songs were chosen for their significance in American history, she said.

“God Bless the U.S.A.,” for example, saw renewed popularity following the Sept. 11 attacks, reaching the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2001. Ewert said the song remains closely associated with that period in American history.

“Sometimes you hear a song, and it reminds you of something,” Ewert said. “I really like ‘It Is Well With My Soul.’ I’ve always loved that song.”

Ewert said Horatio Spafford wrote “It Is Well With My Soul” after losing property in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and, later, his daughters in a shipwreck. Learning the story behind the hymn made a lasting impression on her, she said.

“Even during a turbulent time, we can still find peace somewhere,” Ewert said.

The concert comes during a period of growth for Chorale Coeur d’Alene. It will mark the choir’s first performance at the Kroc Center in several years. Ewert said the choir had about 60 members when she joined in 2019. Today, she estimates membership has grown to 115.

She credits much of that growth to Artistic Director Chism.

“He’s a very dynamic leader, and he’s very personable,” Ewert said.

Chorale Coeur d’Alene closed its 2025-26 season with a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York in May. The choir had consistently sold out performances at Trinity Lutheran Church, prompting the search for a larger venue, Ewert said. The Kroc Center offers roughly twice as many seats.

Ewert said she is excited for her first opportunity to perform at the Kroc Center. She hopes audience members will appreciate the ability to select seats online, as well as the venue’s spacious seating and ample parking.

“We are hoping to get as many people as we can,” Ewert said. “We have a contingent of older generations, and I think these songs will bring them back, and kind of honor them. After all, they are the foundation of our country.”

Tickets for "The American Spirit: Songs of Faith and Freedom" are available at choralecda.com. Adult tickets are $37, while senior and military tickets are $29. Student tickets are $15, and admission is free for children ages 6 and younger.

Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26.

    Members of Chorale Coeur d'Alene rehearse at Peace Lutheran Church.
  

    Assistant Conductor Allyson Gross guides a Chorale Coeur d'Alene rehearsal at Peace Lutheran Church.