Cadenza 2026 set piece
The set piece for Cadenza 2026 will be Scarborough Fair, an English folksong arranged by Brent Stewart.
Cadenza choirs will still present a total of four items in two recitals, with the set piece being one of those four. For the remaining three, choirs may choose to sing all of their regional selections, or may choose any number of new pieces, provided they include at least one Category One piece and at least one Category Two piece. (Note that the set piece cannot be counted towards fulfilling this requirement. Find full regulations here.)
The set piece will also serve as a massed item at the gala concert.
Arranger's notes
This arrangement of Scarborough Fair is conceived as a flexible and accessible work, suitable for a wide range of choirs. Arranged as a set piece for the New Zealand Choral Federation’s 2026 Cadenza, it provides the adjudicator with a consistent work for assessment, independent of repertoire differences. With every participating choir learning the piece for their own recital, the arrangement is also programmed as a massed item, allowing all singers to arrive prepared and come together as a unified group.
Choirs may perform the arrangement a cappella or with piano, with optional ad lib. accompaniment, and may use the two or three part version, or a mixture. Voicing assignments are at the discretion of the choir. Mixed-voiced choirs should double parts in octaves, e.g. Part 1 sung by soprano/tenor, Part 2 by mezzo/baritone, and Part 3 by alto/bass. All performance choices and any text changes should be clearly annotated on the score for the adjudicator.
To accommodate different choir needs, other keys are available. The massed performance at Cadenza will be in D minor with piano accompaniment.
— Brent Stewart
About the piece
Scarborough Fair is a traditional English ballad with roots reaching back several centuries. Like many folk songs, it existed long before anyone thought to write it down, which is why there is no single correct version. The melody, words, and even the order of the verses have shifted over time, passed from singer to singer rather than composer to publisher.
The text is framed as a message between former lovers and centres on a set of tasks that are impossible by design. Rather than dealing directly with what has happened between them, the singer outlines a series of unachievable hoops their ‘ex’ must jump through if they wish to be reconciled. A shirt must be made without seams or needlework, washed in a well with no water, and an acre of land found where the sea never stays in one place. At the same time, phrases like
“once she was a true love of mine” suggest something softer still exists beneath the surface. The sharpness of the demands sits alongside a sense of longing, giving the text its unsettled, bittersweet feel. The recurring refrain of herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme) is more than just a culinary shopping list. In English folklore, these plants are often associated with love, strength, remembrance, and faithfulness.
Despite its age, Scarborough Fair has never really gone away. It has been reshaped countless times, from folk singers to pop arrangements, proving that a gentle melody and a good grudge can travel surprisingly well across centuries.