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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This month's tab is an arrangement of a hymn of Thanksgiving for all of life's blessings titled “Thanks to God For My Redeemer”. The original Swedish words were written by August Ludvig Storm in 1891 under the title “Tack, o Gud, för vad som varit”. Storm was an officer in the Swedish Salvation Army at the time, and was inspired to write the poem after a profound experience of personal spiritual renewal. The hymn is a poetic litany of unwavering gratitude, expressing thanks not only for blessings but also for trials, losses, and challenges.

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