In honor of the upcoming Easter celebrations, this month’s tab is an arrangement of the Resurrection hymn “He Lives.” It’s composer, Alfred H. Ackley (1887–1960), brought together two lifelong passions—ministry and music—in a way that shaped everything he wrote. Born in Pennsylvania to a musically gifted family, he studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London before returning to the United States to serve as a Presbyterian minister. His career blended preaching, teaching, and hymnwriting, and he eventually composed more than 1,500 hymns. “He Lives” remains his most well-known hymn by far.

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In honor of upcoming St. Patrick’s Day observances, this month’s tab is an arrangement of the well-known Irish air “Irish Lamentation”. Also known in historical sources as Limerick’s Lamentation, it is one of the oldest and most widely traveled airs in the Irish repertoire. Its earliest known publication dates to 1676, where it appeared simply as “An Irish Tune” and was attributed to Myles O’Reilly, an Irish harper and composer active in the late 17th century. A later and more widely circulated version appeared in 1692 under the title King James’ March to Ireland, reflecting the tune’s strong association with the Jacobite wars.

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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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