Philippe Rogier may not be a household name, but he is, Philip Cave tells me, “a wonderful composer of late Renaissance music”. That’s why he has lined up three concerts — in London, Oxford and Cambridge — to showcase Rogier’s music and mark the 450th anniversary of his birth.

By a happy coincidence, this year also sees the 20th anniversary of Magnificat, the choir (pictured) that Philip founded in Oxford in 1991 to explore some of the lesser-known works in the choral repertoire. To tie in with both anniversaries, Magnificat will be launching a CD of Rogier’s music at the concerts — their latest in a series of Rogier releases, which began with a recording of his Missa Ego sum qui sum, described by Gramophone Early Music Quarterly as “a lush, glorious, moving, sublime disc”.

For all three concerts, Magnificat will be joined by players from His Majesty’s Sagbutts & Cornetts.

“The first concert, in London, will be large-scale pieces with lots of brass, organ, harp and other instruments, and that’s what’s on the CD,” Philip explains. “The Oxford and Cambridge programmes are on a slightly smaller scale, with some Mass settings and motets and a small instrumental ensemble.”

The Oxford concert will take place in the intimate setting of New College Chapel, where Philip once sang as a Lay Clerk under Edward Higginbottom. “I haven’t performed there for quite a long time, and it will be nice to come back,” he says.

Philippe Rogier was born in Belgium, but spent most of his working life at the court of King Philip II of Spain. During his short life — he died in 1596 at the age of 35 — he produced more than 250 works, of which only about 50 have survived. Philip first came across his music when he sang his Laboravi in gemitu, which English composer Thomas Morley had cheekily published under his own name.

“I was intrigued by the historical background to that, and decided I would look into his music further,” he said. “I had the chance to sing a Mass setting of his, and it was just really wonderful music, and I thought it was a shame nobody knew about it.” Philip hopes the concerts will raise awareness of Rogier’s music.

“There has been interest in his music from other musicians. There was another CD released last year, so it’s not an entirely unknown quantity.

“I hope that the musicians performing will lend extra clout to the music. I think it’s got to be done on the strength of the repertoire, and I think it will be a gradual process — it’s like a slowly moving stone that I hope is going to gather a lot of impetus.

“We’re working our way through all of his Masses, and they’re all so different and interesting.”

n Hope, Glory, Light of Flanders is at New College Chapel on February 18. Tickets from the Oxford Playhouse, tel. 01865 305305 or visit www.oxfordplayhosue.com/ ticketsoxford. Magnificat’s new CD is released by Linn Records.