Five women’s choirs join to present ‘Suffrage Cantata’

More than a century after the ratification of the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote, the choral organization choir Carmen KC is bringing together five regional choirs for an intergenerational performance of Andrea Ramsey’s Suffrage Cantata.

What is the Suffrage Cantata?

Written by composer and conductor Andrea Ramsey while she was living in Kansas City in 2019-2020, the Suffrage Cantata is described less as a standard concert and more as a “choral documentary.”

Through powerful vocals, instrumentation and spoken word, the five-movement work traces more than seven decades of the fight for women’s right to vote. It honors the massive sacrifices, perseverance, and courage of the women who shaped the movement, while highlighting both historical triumphs and the complex racial dynamics of the era.

This performance will feature more than 100 woman singers, ranging in age from 16 to 79. Five female conductors will lead the choir. The collaborating choirss are:

• Carmen KC
• Notre Dame de Sion High School
• Shawnee Heights High School
• Washburn Rural High School
• Washburn University’s Vox Aura

(Editor’s note: I was lucky enough to see this work performed several years ago in Fort Lauderdale. It is powerful and moving, and I recommend you see it.)

Event Details

• When: Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 3 p.m.
• Where: Community Christian Church, 4601 Main St, Kansas City, MO
• Admission: $10 for adults and $6 for students. Children 5 and younger are free. 
• Tickets: You can buy advance tickets here.

Parking Tips

Audience members can park free in these locations:

• The Ashton on the Plaza Garage: Located directly south of the church, visitors can park for free in this lot. Drive past the traffic arm gate, which is generally left open for church events, or pull up to the second-floor gate where a motion detector will lift the door.
• Neighborhood Street Parking: Free street parking is readily available along the residential streets right behind and surrounding the church building.
• Country Club Plaza Garages: The Country Club Plaza is just a short walk away and offers free parking garages and street parking throughout the district.
• Accessible Parking: Designated accessible spaces for individuals with disabilities are located in the surface lots on both the east and south sides of the church building.

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