The Rose In The Heather

'The Rose in the Heather' is a traditional Irish jig. It is a tune enjoyed by many musicians. It's generally considered to be neither too fast nor too slow in tempo.

Title Confusion: The original title has caused some confusion. Early references sometimes used “Rose and the Heater," but this is incorrect. The correct title is “Rose in the Heather” or “Rose sa bhFraoch” in Irish. Some versions appear with "and" in the title.

Musical Variations: The tune has several different versions or settings. A common issue arises when playing it on instruments like whistles and pipes, which can struggle with low notes. Some musicians avoid a low B note in certain bars, and this difference can be seen in published sheet music. Some people feel that incorrect playing of a few bars can "spoil" the tune.

Connections & Misattributions: There has been speculation that 'The Rose in the Heather' shares similarities with another tune called 'Rights of Man', but this is not confirmed. It appears that at least one person confused different versions of tunes on a player.

Historical Appearances:

• The tune appeared in a 1971 tutor called “Tutor for the Feadóg Stáin”, though copies are now difficult to find.
• It's featured on recordings by musicians such as Packie Duignan and Seamus Horan, Tom McGonigle and Robert MacGowran, and Stockton’s Wing.
• Morrison and Conlon played a unique version on a 78 record, with a high ‘e’ note.
• Dave Whelan and Na Connerys have also performed the tune.

Availability and Resources: Sheet music and recordings of the tune are available online, but different versions exist.

Note: A banjo player from County Longford is thought to have played a tune before 'The Rose in the Heather' on a tape recording, but the specific tune has not been identified.