Under the direction of Philip Cave, Magnificat embarks on a three-volume journey exploring the ingenuity of Orlandus Lassus. In this rich collection of Magnificats based on polyphonic models, Lassus – ‘The Alchemist’ – demonstrates an unsurpassed ability to reimagine existing material in the creation of his own works. This first volume of the series presents Lassus’s Magnificats based on madrigals, featuring models by Philippe Verdelot, Cipriano de Rore, and Alessandro Striggio among others. The second album will comprise Lassus’s canticles based on motets, and the third will conclude with those inspired by chansons. In celebrating Lassus as ‘The Alchemist’, Magnificat reveals the creative process and skill he employed in re-working the original music and illuminates a significant repertory that is underrepresented in contemporary liturgical or concert settings.