The Stack Of Wheat
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
The Stack Of Wheat A sixty-four bar Reel for four couples in a longwise set. Third and fourth couples cross to opposite side on second chord., devised by John W Mitchell, Published in Whetherly Book 8.1- 4 First and fourth couples take promenade holds, the ladies on their partners' left, first couple facing down and fourth couple facing up. First couple dance a half a reel of three with second lady and third man on the ladies' side of the set. Meanwhile fourth couple dance a half reel of three with third lady and second man on the men's side of the set: pass by the left shoulder to enter the reels. On bar 4 first and fourth couples release promenade hold as they turn at the end of the reels.
5- 8 Fourth lady, third man, second lady and first man dance a half a reel of four on the ladies' side of the set passing by the right shoulder at the ends to enter the reel. Meanwhile fourth man, third lady, second man and first lady dance a similar half reel of four on the men's side of the set. Finish the reels with first and third couples still on the opposite side of the set facing down and second and fourth couples on correct side facing up.
9-16 Grand chain, one step to each hand, commencing by giving right hands on the sidelines. Men proceed clockwise in the chain and ladies anticlockwise. On the final left hand pass first and fourth couples finish in the middle of the set, second and third couples on the sides, thus making a square formation, with the ladies all facing in and the men facing out.
17-32 Inverted Schiehallion reels: the men commence by casting anticlockwise to follow the lady on their immediate left. Meanwhile the ladies dance in passing by their right and out through the next left hand man's position.
33-40 Eight hands round to the left in a circle for four bars and back to the right. First and fourth couples finish facing up and down the set.
41-44 First and fourth couples dance half rights and lefts to change ends. First and second couples face up and fourth and third couples face down, all on the sidelines.
45-48 Fourth and second couples dance half rights and lefts, third and first couples do the same, all give right hands on the sides to commence, finish still facing up and down.
49-56 Second and fourth couples dance right hands across in a wheel and back with the left hand, first and third couples do the same. All finish out on the sidelines.
57-60 Fourth couple dance a half figure of eight round second couple, crossing up between second couple to commence, and finishing in second place on the opposite side. At the same time first couple dance a half figure of eight round third couple, crossing down between third couple to commence and finishing in third place on own side.
61-64 All join hands on the side and set, then cross to the opposite side giving right hand in passing. Finish in the order 2, 4, 1, 3 with first and third couples on the opposite sides. Repeat with new leading couples. Recommended tune: The Stack of Wheat
(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagram
Published in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 8, by John W Mitchell, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell. Instructions reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-ND 4.0).
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