Magnificat is a tribute to the unaccompanied motets of favourite composers from several eras – in particular those of Dufay, the Eton Choirbook, Robert Carver, Lassus and Bach.

The work is therefore full of contrast in texture, harmony, mood and pacing, and exploits the resources of unaccompanied chorus in a manner not only analogous to those already mentioned but also to ensemble or orchestral writing. Naturally – given the sentiments of the text – the mood is predominantly joyful and exu...