In 2022, Canterbury Cathedral Choir was pleased to play a prominent part in the Palimpsest Project. 

This project, headed by critically-acclaimed saxophonist Sam Corkin, commissioned 11 leading contemporary composers to write new works for saxophone, choir and organ. The fundamental requirement of these composers was that their pieces be based on pre-existing compositions. A further 4 pieces, written to the same brief, were selected through a composition competition which attracted 100 applicants from around the world.

The majority of these 15 works were premiered at Cathedral services during 2022; the remainder were performed for the first time at a concert which took place as part of the Canterbury Festival in October of that year.

The pieces were subsequently recorded for Signum Classics, and the album is due to be released in September 2023. 

Also premiered during the Canterbury Festival was a community composition brought into existence by a group of local volunteer musicians, who worked under the expert guidance of David Knotts at Christ Church Canterbury University over the course of a number of weeks. 

The Palimpsest project has been generously supported by Arts Council England, the Friends of Canterbury Cathedral, The Joyce Fletcher Charitable Trust and Canterbury Christ Church University.