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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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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