By Richard Matteson, Jr. For Fretted. Tune book. Bluegrass. Level: Beginning. Book. Size 8.75x11.75. 248 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc.

(C Instruments). By Various. For C Instruments. Fake Book. Softcover. 520 pages. Published by Hal Leonard

Hymn Arrangements for Every Occasion. Arranged by Gail Smith. For Piano. Hymnal. Sacred. Level: Intermediate-Advanced. Book. Size 8.75x11.75. 208 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc.

Orchestra

SKU: PR.416415760

For Really Big Orchestra. Composed by PDQ Bach. Edited by Prof. Peter Schickele. Study Score. With Standard notation. Duration 11 minutes. Theodore Presser Company #416-41576. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.416415760).

UPC: 680160636532. 9 x 12 inches.

The 1712 Overture stands out in P.D.Q. Bach's oeuvre for two reasons, among others: it is by far the most programmatic instrumental piece among those by the minimeister of Wein-am-Rhein so far unearthed, and 2) its discovery has led to a revelation about the composer's father, Johann Sebastian Bach, that has exploded like a bombshell on the usually serene musicological landscape. The overture is based on an anecdote told to P.D.Q. Bach by a cousin, Peter Ulrich. Since P.U. Bach lived in Dudeldorf, only a few miles down the road from Wein-am-Rhein, he was P.D.Q.'s closest relative, and he was, in fact, one of the few members of the family who was on speaking terms with P.D.Q. The story, related to P.D.Q. (fortunately for us posterity types) in a letter, may be summarized thus: The town of Dudeldorf was founded by two brothers, Rudi and Dieter Dudel, early in the 18th century. Rudi remained mayor of the newborn burg for the rest of his long life, but Dieter had a dream of starting a musicians' colony, an entire city devoted to music, which dream, he finally decided, could be realized only in the New World. In 1712, he and several other bagpipers sailed to Boston, never to return to Germany. (Henceforth, Rudi became known as der deutscher Dudel and Dieter as the Yankee Dudel). Unfortunately, the head of the Boston Musicians' Guild had gotten wind of Dudel's plans, and Wilhelm Wiesel (pron. VEE-zle), known none too affectionately around town as Wiesel the Weasel, was not about to share what few gigs there were in colonial America with more foreigners and outside agitators. He and his cronies were on hand to meet Dudel's boat when it pulled into Boston Harbor; they intended to prevent the newcomers' disembarkation, but Dudel and his companions managed to escape to the other side of the bay in a dinghy, landing with just enough time to rent a carriage and horses before hearing the sound of The Weasel and his men, who had had to come around the long way. The Germans headed West, with the Bostonians in furious pursuit. soon the city had been left far behind, and by midnight so had the pursuers; Dieter Dudel decided that it was safe for him and his men to stop and sleep until daybreak. When they awoke, they found that they were in a beautiful landscape of low, forested mountains and pleasant fields, warmed by the brilliant morning sun and serenaded by an entrancing variety of birds. Here, Dudel thought, her is where I will build my colony. The immigrants continued down the road at a leisurely pace until they came upon a little church, all by itself in the countryside, from which there suddenly emanated the sounds of a pipe organ. At this point, the temptation to quote from P.U. Bach's letter to P.D.Q. cannot be resisted: They went inside and, after listening to the glorious music for a while, introduced themselves to the organist. And who do you think it was? Are you ready for this -- it was your old man! Hey, no kidding -- you know, I'm sure, that your father was the guy to get when it came to testing new organs, and whoever had that one in Massachusetts built offered old Sebastian a tidy sum to go over there and check it out. The unexpected meeting with J.S. Bach and his sponsors was interrupted by the sound of horse hooves, as the dreaded Wiesel and his men thundered on to the scene. They had been riding all night, however, and they were no spring chickens to start with, and as soon as they reached the church they all dropped, exhausted, to the ground. The elated Germans rang the church bells and offered to buy everyone a beer at the nearest tavern. There they were taught, and joined in singing, what might be called the national anthem of the New World. The melody of this pre-revolutionary patriotic song is still remembered (P.D.Q. Bach quotes it, in the bass instruments, near the end of the overture), but is words are now all but forgotten: Freedom, of thee we sing, Freedom e'er is our goal; Death to the English King, Long live Rock and Ross. The striking paucity of biographical references to Johann Sebastian Bah during the year 1712 can now be explained: he was abroad for a significant part of that year, testing organs in the British Colonies. That this revelation has not been accepted as fact by the musicological establishment is no surprise, since it means that a lot of books would have to be rewritten. The members of that establishment haven't even accepted the existence of P.D.Q. Bach, one of whose major works the 1712 Overture certainly is. It is also a work that shows Tchaikowsky up as the shameless plagiarizer that some of us have always known he was. The discovery of this awesome opus was made possible by a Boston Pops Centennial Research Commission; the first modern performance took place at the opening concert of the 100th anniversary season of that orchestra, under the exciting but authentic direction of John Williams.

Arranged by Kevin Mayhew (editor). For Choir. SA Men. Sacred. Intermediate. Book. Published by Kevin Mayhew Publishers

(P/V/G). By Various. Songbooks and Methods. Music Sales America. Patriotic, Sacred. Softcover. 320 pages

(A Treasury of Songs from Stage and Film, Specially Designed for Teen Singers! Includes Story Synopsis, Song Set-up, Audition Tips and 16-Bar Cut Suggestions). Edited by and compiled Lisa DeSpain. For Voice. Book; CD; Vocal Collection. Broadway. 220 pages. Published by Alfred Music Publishing

C Instruments. Composed by Various. Fake Book. Softcover. 456 pages. Published by Hal Leonard

For Autoharp, Guitar, Ukulele, Mandolin, Banjo, and Keyboard. Compiled by Meg Peterson. For Autoharp/Chromaharp. Songbook. Sacred. Level: Beginning. Book. Size 8.5x11. 40 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc.

Easy Piano

SKU: BT.MUSAM1010658

Really Easy Piano. Pop and Rock. Book with Online Audio. Composed 2015. 48 pages. Wise Publications #MUSAM1010658. Published by Wise Publications (BT.MUSAM1010658).

ISBN 9781783059829. English.

With the Really Easy Piano Playalong songbook, you can learn 19 Classic Hit Songs with these simplified arrangements for Easy Piano, then use the included download card to hear demonstrations and backing tracks that you can play along to. Featuring a wealth of some of the most famous tunes of all time by the greatest singers and songwriters ever, these Classic Hit Songs  are essential playing for all pianists, and the Really Easy Piano Playalong book lets beginners immediately pick up these wonderful melodies. From classic pop songs like All Shook Up, Downtown and Waterloo to those beautiful ballads like Rocket Man, Hallelujah  and Fields Of Gold, this collection offersamazing variety of tunes that can be placed right at beginner pianist's fingertips.  With the accompanying download card, you will get instant online access to fantastic-sounding demonstration and backing tracks for each tune. This means you'll be able to hear how each Classic Hit Song  should sound, then learn them using the easy-to-read sheet music, before playing your own versions along to the backing tracks. With songs by such bestselling artists as Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, David Bowie and Louis Armstrong, this is a fantastic book for learning all of those timeless tunes that everyone loves, and with the help of some fingering hints, performance tips, lyrics and fascinating background information, the Really Easy Piano Playalong really is the perfect songbook for pianists who love pop hits. The fantastic selection of brilliant songs from these wonderful musicians places some of the greatest tunes of all time at any beginner pianist's fingertips. Your friends and family will no doubt be wholly impressed with how great each of these songs sound on the Piano, especially when played along with the backing tracks. For a collection of 19 Classic Hit Songs,  look no further than the Really Easy Piano Playalong  songbook.