Just in time for the upcoming Valentine’s Day observances, this month’s tab is an arrangement of the timeless love song “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose.” Written in 1794 by the iconic Scottish poet and composer Robert Burns, the lyric emerged from his deep engagement with Scottish folk tradition and his mission to preserve it. His poem was inspired by fragments of older Scots songs that Burns encountered while compiling material for The Scots Musical Museum.

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This month’s tab is an arrangement of the traditional English country dance tune “Jamaica”. First published in the 4th edition of John Playford’s “The English Dancing Master” in 1670, it also appeared in the next 12 editions, sometimes under the alternate spelling of “Jameko”. The tune emerged shortly after England seized Jamaica from Spain in 1655, a major event that sparked a wave of ballads and popular songs referencing the island.

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Der Heiland ist geboren (“The Savior Is Born”) is a Christmas hymn from Austria, with its earliest known text printed on a broadside in Innsbruck in 1638. The melody most commonly associated with the carol was preserved in a manuscript around 1780, giving the song its recognizable tune. Later, in 1881, Wilhelm Pailler published a six‑verse version, further cementing its place in the Austrian folk tradition.

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