Scarborough Fair/Canticle (arr. Randy Jordan): SSATBB Choral Octavo

Randy Jordan's setting captures the poetry and emotional restraint of the Simon and Garfunkel original while making it genuinely singable for mixed ensembles. The arrangement respects the original's harmonic sophistication without sacrificing clarity, and the six-part voicing creates natural opportunities for blending and balance work that intermediate choirs actually need.

Meditative and wistful, with moments of crystalline beauty in the harmonic resolutions. The piece carries the weight of centuries while feeling immediate and intimate, as though the singer is confiding something precious.

Intermediate to advanced mixed choirs looking for folk repertoire with musical substance. This works beautifully for groups comfortable with divisi voicing and ready to explore how a traditional melody can be reimagined through careful harmonic writing.

• Treat the text with the gravity it deserves. This is a plea wrapped in the language of herbs and ailments; find the vulnerability underneath the archaic words.
• Balance the divisi sections by having singers listen across voice parts rather than focusing only on their own line. The beauty lives in how the voices interlock.
• Keep the tempo measured and walking. Resist the urge to rush; let the harmonic changes breathe and the text land clearly.

Pair this with other arranged folk material to create a thematic concert section, or use it as a bridge between classical and contemporary repertoire. The piece also works exceptionally well as a counterpoint to more substantial choral works, giving your program breathing room without sacrificing musical substance.

• Singing through divisi sections while maintaining phrase shape
• Balancing ensemble blend across multiple voice parts
• Interpretive choices in folk material with emotional restraint
• Connecting archaic or poetic text to musical phrasing
• Listening across a six-part harmonic texture