We do! The old joke says “practice, practice, practice!” and of course that’s true. In March 2027, ZSR Singers is putting that old adage to work, heading to New York to sing in one of the most fabled spaces in the world.
We’ll be performing Shawn Kirchner’s Songs of Ascent — a transcendent cantata built on the ancient pilgrim psalms, music about gathering, healing, and coming home to each other. This is a bucket-list opportunity: the same stage that’s hosted history’s greatest musicians, now with your voice in the mix. Produced by National Concerts, registration is open now for both choirs and individual singers. Sign up by September 10 and start here.
Join us Sept 6 for a live info session!
A group Zoom chat will get a LOT of your questions answered. Join us 9/6/26 at 2pm, and let us hear from you!
Read more
Click here to read more about the trip, the rehearsals and the whole experience.
Considering joining us?
We’d love to hear from you now, so we can keep you in the loop. If you think you might join us on this incredible journey, please fill out this form:
Strictly Casual returns August 30!
Composition
Four new works published!
A Mother’s Plea, The Angels Reply was the gold-medal winner in music compostion for the 1996 NAACP ACT-SO Competion. Written when the composer was 16 years old, the original two-movement work was concieved in response to the composer’s experience as middle-schooler during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. The second movement, The Angel’s Reply, is published separately as Psalm 121.
LA River Scenes blends melodies I made up in my childhood and young adult years with impressions from my recent experiences with the LA River Kayak Safari tour company. The journey begins with a bike ride along the LA river’s edge followed by an fascinating history lesson about the Elysian River Valley and finally an exciting kayak trip down the luscious river with baby rapids and deep pools of up to 10 feet. My piece reflects the love and pride I feel for my hometown and my excitement over discovering I can go kayaking near Dodger Stadium in summer.
Commissioned by Scott Horowitz and Leah Weinberg for Kantorei, (Denver, CO USA) Joel Rinsema, Conductor, Winter Branches is a modern a cappella choral setting of the well-known poem by Margaret Widdemer. Rich harmonies, intuitive synchopations, and a gentle triple meter add a modern sense of holiday comfort and warmth to any winter-themed concert program.
The Root is a setting of two statements given by iconic Civil Rights leader, Angela Davis. The initial statement, “radical means grasping things at the root,” is a quote from her address Let Us All Rise Together: Radical Perspectives on Empowerment for Afro-American Women. The second text source is perhaps Davis’ best known quote, “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept,” a statement without a clear origin that has been widely attributed to Davis.
About the shift to “Stewart Robles Music”
When I started self-publishing my original compositions, I realized I had to name a publisher at the bottom of my scores and add a publishing component to my ASCAP profile. I wanted a name that represented the evolution of two beautiful families — I was born into the Stewart family and I married into the Robles family.
Both families have a legacy of professional music-making, and both legacies have influenced my development as a music professional. Thus, Stewart Robles Music was born. Stewart Robles Music is my creative and administrative home. It encompasses my work as a composer, conductor, singer, educator, and arts leader, and it provides the structural and financial support for community-based choral projects, artistic collaborations, and educational initiatives.
Through Stewart Robles Music, I administer the ZSR Singers, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing intergenerational enrichment through choral music.
For Fun
Keep the tempo, keep the joy…
Originally published as the August 2026 newsletter – Not on the list? Sign up here
