Cadence History: Our Voice Throughout the Years

Since its founding in 1994, Cadence, formerly Central Pennsylvania Women's Chorus, has been a voice for justice, a space for belonging, and a stage for powerful performances that celebrate both music and community. What began as a spark of inspiration at the Harrisburg Pride Festival has grown into a chorus that sings not only for joy, but also for change.

Concerts With Purpose

Cadence has always believed that music carries power far beyond the stage. In the early 2000s, the chorus raised funds for causes close to our hearts, including the Mautner Project, the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, and the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. Benefit concerts over the years also supported AIDS programs, breast cancer prevention and treatment, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and many other organizations dedicated to advocacy and care.

Past Performances

Sharing Our Voices Across the Commonwealth

Over the years, we have been honored to raise our voices for groups we believe in. We have sung in the State Capitol for the Pennsylvania Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Network’s diversity celebration each December since 2003. We've joined Unity Day celebrations, sang for women’s studies programs, and helped honor the anniversaries of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. At Shippensburg University, we performed for both the LGBTQ+ alumni association and the student alliance, affirming the importance of visibility and representation on campus.

Our voices have also carried us to remarkable stages: Judy Collins’ Christmas concert in 2000, where we sang backup alongside the Harrisburg Men’s Chorus; the Sister Singers Festival in San Diego in 2006; and Montreal’s premiere concert hall for the 2004 GALA Festival, where we performed for more than 2,000 people.

Collaborations That Strengthen Community

Through the past decades, we have collaborated with the Harrisburg Men’s Chorus, the Metropolitan Community Church of the Spirit Gospel Choir, and choirs across the region such as Anna Crusis Women’s Choir in Philadelphia, New Wave Singers in Baltimore, and Diva in Philadelphia’s Pride celebration. In 2007, we proudly collaborated with the Pennsylvania Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Network in our spring concert Land of Our Dreams.

We have also had the honor of premiering new works including Song of the Dying Amazon, a piece commissioned for us and conducted by the composer. These moments of creativity and collaboration remind us of the shared strength that comes from voices joined in harmony.

Continuing the Tradition

Through full-length concerts, festival appearances, community collaborations, and benefit performances, Cadence has introduced audiences to songs that inspire, amuse, soothe, and heal. Our history is filled with music by and about strong women, pieces that speak to resilience, and works that uplift marginalized voices.

Every note sung has carried our mission forward: to empower, to connect, and to celebrate the beauty of living authentically. Our history is one of song, strength, and community. We invite you to join us.