John Barleycorn | Songs of England #6 | Stonehenge, Wiltshire

New to this series? Explore the full playlist: In this new series in collaboration with The Nest Collective, we explore the stories behind traditional English folk songs that have connections to historic places. On the surface, John Barleycorn is about the killing and burial of the man whose name the song takes. But listen more closely and you find that Barleycorn himself is an allegory for the barley crop harvested each autumn across England. As a place set in a landscape dotted with countless prehistoric burial mounds, and in the heart of one of England’s largest farming regions, Stonehenge is a fitting match for this sombre tale of demise and rebirth. Visit Stonehenge: Presented by Sam Lee and Matt Thompson. Written and Directed by Max O’Brien. John Barleycorn Performed by Sam Lee; Arranged by Thom Ashworth. Original Music Composed by Christopher Schlechte-Bond. Music