The Hag at the Churn

Jig, D Mixolydian, Traditional Irish

Wild, fierce and exuberant, this tune invites repetition, variation, and growing intensity. It is a traditional Irish jig that brings a legacy in folklore with it, concerning the dangers of churning butter.

The photograph in the illustration above was taken around 1897 by J.W. Dunn. It shows a woman churning butter, with a kitten to help manage any leaks, and with a book in hand to help pass the time.

Recordings

• Video – Chris Smith: Gallagher’s Frolics/The Pipe on the Hob/The Hag at the Churn – from the album Coyotebanjo, Irish Traditional Music from America, Chris Smith with Roger Landes and Randal Bays. (The Hag at the Churn begins at time 2:18 in this recording. It is played in D Mixolydian.)
• Audio – Mochara: The Hag at the Churn​/​The Maid at the Spinning Wheel – played on uilleann pipes with guitar backing, in D Mixolydian. From the album In Your Blood.
• Video – Dulahan Ireland: The Hag at the Churn – played on tenor banjo in D Mixolydian.

Dots (Music Notation)

As always for traditional tunes, the musical notation and chords do not indicate the “right” way to play the tune, but are a useful reference.

About the chords: In this arrangement, most of the chords are open chords, omitting the “third” that would be in a standard major or minor chord. The D5 chord consists of D and A notes, with no F. The Csus2 chord consists of the notes C, D, and G — in other words, a C5 chord with an added D (C5addD) to give tension that pulls toward D. These stark cords support the tune’s edgy sound and leave plenty of room for melodic variations.

Sets

Examples of sets that include this tune.

• Gallagher Jig Set: Gallagher’s Frolics / The Pipe on the Hob (3-part) / The Hag at the Churn
• Garret Barry’s / The Hag at the Churn
• The Monaghan Jig / Scatter the Mud / The Hag at the Churn (Jigs)
• The Gander in the Pratie Hole / The Hag at the Churn
• The Hag at the Churn / Banish Misfortune

References and Resources

For those who want to dig deeper, here are some other resources.

• More Recordings
  • Video – The Bothy Band: The Pipe on the Hob/The Hag at the Churn – from the album After Hours. (The Hag at the Churn begins at time 2:19 in this recording. It is played in D Mixolydian.)
  • Audio – Stephen Ducke: The Hag at the Churn (Jig) – played on tin whistle in D Mixolydian. From the book Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes
  • Video – Niamh Ni Charra: The Hag at the Churn / Banish Misfortune – Hammersmith Irish Cultural Centre, London 03.04.2008. Played on concertina.
  • Video – Steve Levy, Traditional Music Project: Hag at the Churn – played on mandolin in D Mixolydian.

• Books
  • Book: Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes by Stephen Ducke. (The Hag at the Churn is in D Mixolydian in this book.)
  • Book – Shannon Heaton: The First 50 – PDF book; sheet music for 50 tunes with audio tracks for each tune. (The Hag at the Churn is in A Mixolydian in this book.)
• Lessons
  • Lesson – Whistle Workshops: Hag at the Churn (Jig) – lesson on tin whistle by Conor Lamb. With video, sheet music, and animated (SoundSlice) sheet music. Played in D Mixolydian.
  • Lessons – Online Academy of Irish Music: The Hag at the Churn – lessons for playing the tune on guitar (flat-picking) and on uilleann pipes, taught in the key of D Mixolydian.
• Other Resources
  • Webpage – The Session: The Hag at the Churn (Jig) – crowdsourced sheet music, comments, and other information.
  • Article: Dorian, Mixolydian, Oh My: Modes in a Nutshell, by Jonathan Lay, TrailJams