Weevily Wheat

When I was but a wee lad, I remember listening to a recording we had at home. It was a little red Playtime recording of "Weevily Wheat," an old American folksong that can be found sharing verses and even some melodies with other folksongs: "Fly Around My Pretty Little Girl" and "Devilish Mary." Some have related the song to Bonnie Prince Charlie of Scotland, but who really knows?

This is really an easy song to learn, though this 2-part arrangement might prove a bit challenging for younger groups. Part 1 incorporates the actual melody, while part 2 bounces off of it and adds the harmonies. After the intro, you get a unison chorus before part 2 strays away starting its antics at the first verse. It would be amusing to split your choir into parts 1 and 2, have them face each other, more or less singing "at" each other (from a safe distance, of course). Or, if you are doing a virtual choir recording, you could format it in such a way that the part 1 and part 2 singers are facing each other Brady Bunch style. You can find rehearsal tracks for part 2 on our web site.

The song should be sung energetically from start to finish. And don't forget the handclaps at the repeat during the coda!