“Sanctuary” is going to be a unique event in our concert calendar. In the month of February, the Nave of Canterbury Cathedral is completely cleared of chairs, and that splendid space is going to be the arena in which we present a contemplation, in light, music, dance, and the spoken word, of the notion of Sanctuary.

Performances will last approximately 45 minutes, and there will be two of them: one at 7.00 pm, one at 8.30 pm. There will, of course, be provision for anyone with mobility issues, but performers and audience will be moving around the Nave as different elements of the piece unfold. Such an event seldom happens in Canterbury Cathedral.

Churches and cathedrals have always been places of sanctuary, but it’s a particularly pertinent theme in our city, as the Huguenot Chapel, in the crypt of the cathedral, testifies. Given in perpetuity to the French Protestant congregation in the 16th century, the chapel stands as an example of refuge offered in troubled times. The music in our performance recalls both that grim history, and more recent events: we will perform the music of Claude Goudimel, a great Huguenot composer of the Renaissance, alongside excerpts from a much more recent musical document, Cecilia McDowall’s ‘Everyday Wonders: the Girl from Aleppo’, and other music composed for this event.

Candlelight and the creative lighting of our talented colleagues will enhance what should be an unforgettable event for performers and audience alike.