Welcome to the Peter Tranchell website

photograph of Peter Tranchell

This website is a source of information about Peter Tranchell (aka "PAT"), 1922-1993, composer, Precentor of Gonville and Caius College and Lecturer in Music, University of Cambridge.

The site is authored and managed by a group of enthusiasts (some of whom were friends and pupils of PAT), 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.

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. 

We are also maintaining a calendar of performances of Tranchell's music, both sacred and secular - please contact us with details if you know of any. 

2022: the Peter Tranchell Centenary ("PAT100")

Peter Tranchell was born on 14 July 1922, so 2022 is the centenary year of his birth. Press Release issued 4 May 2022.

To mark this, the Peter Tranchell Foundation and friends are working to promote and publicise performances, broadcasts and recordings of his work throughout 2022, and raise funds to support this.

Key activities include:

  • The Peter Tranchell Centenary Composition Competition for Organ (find out more...)
  • A new commission from Proms composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad
  • A Centenary Musical SoirĂ©e and Reception (on Saturday 26th November 2022, St. Paul's Knightsbridge) (find out more...)
  • 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...)

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 what's been happening on the Peter Tranchell website, check out the site blog.

Writings

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