Palimpsest: a manuscript or piece of writing material on which the original writing has been effaced to make room for later writing but of which traces remain.

Created in collaboration with two local choirs (the Ottawa Choral Society; The Fieldown Singers), Palimpsest I deconstructs and rearranges classic Renaissance choral pieces to create an original multi-channel audio composition, a sonic palimpsest.

Without thoughtful exploration of a piece of art, a work’s indebtedness to historical and cultural origins can be lost. The metaphor of a palimpsest conveys this with subtlety— layers over layers of written words (or in this case, sounds)—revealing the contributing historical and cultural elements latent in any artistic work. In keeping with the theme of a palimpsest, Palimpsest I uses historical music as a foundation on which to layer, synthesize and ultimately compose a new, modern piece.