Magnificat in the 8th Mode

Our schola has very much enjoyed preparing this nice setting of Magnificat, by Di Lasso, in the 8th Mode. The appeal of pieces that alternate between chant and polyphony is as strong in our time as it must have been in the 16th century.

I'm personally drawn to this material because it permits the ear to again become familiar with chant lines and fundamental chant hymns - in a way that all-polyphony does not. And adding the polyphony to the chant illustrates the integration between the two, and is particularly appealing to today's restless ears.

So this way, people hear two fresh and interesting sounds, one that dates back far in our history and another that has that unmistakable eternal dazzle that we associate with the Golden Age.

Also, this piece is not that difficult.