The Stack of Barley

Hornpipe, G
Also known as: The Little Stack of Barley

A stack of barley signifies a successful planting and harvest, and that good food and drink are ahead. This tune was collected in O’Neill’s Music of Ireland in 1903, recorded by Michael Coleman in 1934, and continues to be a favorite session tune.

In Ireland, barley has long been used to make porridge and bread. It is also the key ingredient for making whiskey and beer. For the purpose of brewing, barley is usually malted, a process of soaking the barley in water so that it germinates, and then toasting it dry. If the barley is toasted over a peat fire, the malt acquires the distinct flavor of peat smoke. A stack of barley is also called a “barley mow.”

Here’s good luck to the brewer
Good luck to the barley mow
Jolly good luck to the brewer
Good luck to the barley mow

From “The Barley Mow,” a traditional song of England, Ireland, and Scotland

Recordings

• Audio – Kanako Machida and Brian McGrath: Barndance and Hornpipe – Stack Of Barley, Kitty’s Wedding – from the album Jiggin’ in Japan (Galway, Ireland)
• Video – Kevin Burke: The Boys Of Bally Castle/The Stack Of Barley – played on fiddle. From the album Up Close. (The Stack of Barley begins at time 1:29 in this recording.)
• Video – Will Woodson & Caitlin Finley: Stack of Barley Medley | The Phonograph Project – played on flute and fiddle.

Sheet Music

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.

Sets

Examples of sets that include this tune.

• Barley & Bride Hornpipe Set: The Stack of Barley (G) / Kitty’s Wedding (D)
• The Stack of Barley / The Little Stack of Wheat (Bantry Bay)

References and Resources

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

• More Recordings
  • Audio – Comhaltas: The Stack of Barley – session recording. From the album Foinn Seisiún Volume 2
  • Video – Michael Coleman – The Stack of Barley Medley (1934) – “Recorded on November 28, 1934 for the Decca label (12036 A), Coleman is accompanied by Michael ‘Whitey’ Andrews on the guitar. XR remastered from a mint pressing provided from a private collection.” Published on YouTube by DXWIZ 1911. Also available as a lossless (wav) audio file.
• Books
  • Book & Audio – Matt & Shannon Heaton: In Harmony 
  • Book & Audio – Stephen Ducke: Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes
  • Book – Foinn Seisiún, Volume 2 — Published by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
• Lessons
  • Lesson – Kevin Burke (FiddleVideo): The Stack of Barley (Hornpipe) – fiddle lesson (excerpt of lesson is free; full lesson requires subscription to FiddleVideo.)
  • Lesson – Michael Eskin (TradLessons.com): The Little Stack of Barley – uilleann pipe lesson
  • Lesson – Shannon Heaton Stack of Barley [Hornpipe] – Tune of the Month – taught phrase by phrase on flute
• Online Tune Collections
  • The Session: The Stack of Barley (Hornpipe)
  • Traditional Tune Archive: Little Stack of Barley
  • The Irish Traditional Music Tune Index: Stack of Barley