Welcome to the Peter Tranchell website

photograph of Peter Tranchell

Peter Andrew Tranchell (aka "P.A.T."), 1922-1993, was a composer, Precentor of Gonville and Caius College, and Lecturer in Music at the University of Cambridge.

This website is authored and managed by The Peter Tranchell Foundation, and will be enhanced continually as material becomes available. Our aims are to make Peter Tranchell's music and writings available to a wide audience free or at minimal cost, to provide accurate information about his life and works, both musical and literary, and to maintain the site as a sustainable on-line resource for the future. Find out more about the website and the Peter Tranchell Foundation.

Making PAT's music available is time-consuming work, involving finding and researching the manuscripts, copying/scanning, transcribing into digital notation, proofreading and publishing. We have limited time and resources available, and would welcome contributions of all kinds from anyone who knew PAT or who appreciates his music - find out how to donate. Or if you can contribute scores, recordings, anecdotes, writings, or time and expertise in any area, please contact us here. 

Calendar of performances

We maintain a calendar of performances of Peter Tranchell's music, both sacred and secular, when we know about them. Please do contact us with details of any that come to your attention.

Music

Tranchell's music, composed over a period of almost 60 years, covered many genres, from song cycles to psalms, and from organ sonatas to "detective cantatas". Find out more...

Archive

The Tranchell archive is held by Cambridge University Library, and may be searched using their "iDiscover" system. Find out more...

What's new

To find out about the activities of The Peter Tranchell Foundation, and what's been happening on the Peter Tranchell website, check out the site blog, our Facebook group, and out Twitter feed.

Writings

Tranchell was a prolific writer of letters, reviews, verse etc. Find out more...

2022: the Peter Tranchell Centenary

Peter Tranchell was born on 14 July 1922, so 2022 was the centenary year of his birth.

To mark this, the Peter Tranchell Foundation and friends promoted performances, broadcasts and recordings of his work throughout 2022, and raised funds to support this.

Key activities included:

  • The Peter Tranchell Centenary Composition Competition for Organ (find out more...)
  • A Centenary Musical Soirée and Reception (on Saturday 26th November 2022, St. Paul's Knightsbridge) (find out more...)
  • Commissioned Psalm 133: The Peace of God, by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, premièred at the Centenary Musical Soirée
  • The launch of a programme of editing and typesetting to ensure all significant Tranchell choral, orchestral and instrumental works are available in performing editions
  • Support for performances and recordings of Tranchell works
  • A Centenary Appeal to raise funds for the Foundation’s work in and beyond the Centenary year (find out more...)