The Chantry Folksongs were commissioned by Chantry Quire of Chichester as part of their 10th anniversary celebrations. Four composers were asked to choose a folksong from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and to arrange it for unaccompanied SATB. Two of the composers followed the brief.

The folksongs are The Braes O' Balquhidder from Scotland, arranged by Neil Sands, He Gives His Beloved Certain Rhymes, an Irish text by WB Yeats set by Patrick Larley, Suo Gân, a Welsh folksong arranged by Victoria Larley, and The Keel Row, from England, arranged by James Webb with a piano accompaniment.

The set of contrasting folksongs was first sung by Chantry Quire in 2010.