Click the quotation text to discover what it refers to!
Click the quotation text to discover what it refers to!
| I like this composerʼs language, pungent and spicy | ||
| —John York, Piano |
| …a genuinely creative talent | ||
| —Musical Opinion |
| I look forward to becoming familiar with more music from this underrated composer. | ||
| —Murray McLachlan, International Piano (May/June 2015) |
| Peter Thompson has been a staunch and open-handed friend to British music for many years. | ||
| —Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International (August 2016) |
Peter Thompson was born in Peterborough. He studied composition with Carey Blyton at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In 1983, his String Quartet no 1 won first prize in the MidNAG national composition competition.
Since that date, his music has been widely performed, often at London’s South Bank and other cultural centres. His music has also been broadcast, notably on Classic FM, and is available on CD from Fand Music Recordings.
In 1995 he was a prizewinner in the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) International Composers’ Competition, and in 1996 he won the competition.
In 2014 his Cello Sonatina was featured on the Sleeveless Records label by cellist Lionel Handy and pianist Nigel Clayton on their CD, From Bohemia to Wessex. You can listen to the entire recording of this work, in full, on YouTube:
| Peter Thompson’s Sonatina for Cello and Piano, from the disc From Bohemia to Wessex, is a fine example of tonal British music written in the 1980s. It is intelligent without being grating and is infused with rich and brooding British landscape. Try playing the slow movement, Andante sostenuto (4½ mins). | ||
| —Julian Farmer |
He has written music in most genres – chamber music, vocal music, piano music and orchestral music (including four symphonies).
Further information about Peter Thompson can be found on his Web site.
Portrait of Peter Thompson sketched by Jennie Slater.
| Composer | Work | Grade | Vocal range | Duration | Published | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Peter Thompson | A Red, Red Rose for unaccompanied choir (SATB) | 3 mins | 16th January 2017 | £1.50 | ||||
| Words: Robert Burns Forces: Choir (SATB) | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Air and Two Eclogues arranged for Tenor Recorder and Piano | 5 mins | 18th January 2022 | £5.50 | ||||
| Forces: Tenor recorder, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Apple-Gathering Autumn Poem for orchestra | 10½ mins | 8th September 2022 | |||||
| Forces: Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Arcadia Calls for Violin and Piano | 3 to 6 | 5½ mins | 16th September 2018 | £5.95 | |||
| Forces: Violin, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | At the Window for SATB | 2000 | ||||||
| Words: Richard Burns Forces: Choir (SATB) | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Aubade for flute and piano | 2001 | £6.00 | |||||
| Forces: Flute, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Ballad for piano | 6 mins | 1994 | £5.00 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Ballad for solo violin | 2002 | £7.00 | |||||
| Forces: Violin | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Ballet for clarinet in B♭, ’cello and piano | 10½ mins | 2000 | £10.50 | ||||
| Forces: Clarinet, ’Cello, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Bicycle Ride for piano | 1993 | £4.75 | |||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Brazilian Scherzo for Two Pianos | 8 | 3 mins | 2nd March 2020 | £6.99 | |||
| Forces: Two Pianos | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Burlesque for piano | 3½ mins | 2007 | £6.50 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Calydon Eclogue for violin solo | 3 | 3 mins | 19th February 2014 | £3.50 | |||
| Forces: Violin | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra | 9 mins | March 2011 | |||||
| Forces: Violin, Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra Reduction for violin and piano | 9 mins | March 2011 | £12.50 | ||||
| Forces: Violin, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Carol (Choral version) for SATB | 2 mins | 1995 | £2.50 | ||||
| Forces: Choir (SATB) | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Carol (Unison version) for voices in unison and piano | C to E' | 1995 | £4.45 | ||||
| Words: Elizabeth W. Thompson Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Concertino for Violoncello and Orchestra | 17 mins | 7th October 2023 | |||||
| Forces: ’Cello, Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Concertino for Violoncello and Orchestra Piano Reduction | 17 mins | 7th October 2023 | £15.50 | ||||
| Forces: ’Cello, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Dark Veils for low voice and piano | ,B to D' | 1½ mins | 8th June 2013 | £3.50 | |||
| Words: Felicity Cook Forces: Low voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Dawn for voice and piano | A to F' | 2½ mins | 2003 | £5.00 | |||
| Words: Richard Burns Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Echoes for voice and piano | D to F♯' | 1992 | £4.45 | ||||
| Words: Walter de la Mare Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Écossaises for ’cello and piano | 3½ mins | 2002 | £7.45 | ||||
| Forces: ’Cello, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Elegiac Ballad for solo ’cello | 9¼ mins | 1999 | £5.45 | ||||
| Forces: ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Epithalamium I for organ | 1995 | £5.45 | |||||
| Edited by Maureen McAllister FRCO Forces: Organ | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson arr. Maureen McAllister | Epithalamium II for organ duet | 1995 | £9.45 | |||||
| Forces: Organ duet | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Epithalamium III for organ | 8 mins | 1995 | £7.45 | ||||
| Edited by Maureen McAllister FRCO Forces: Organ | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Fanfare for Junior String Orchestra | 1994 | £12.50 | |||||
| Forces: Junior String Orchestra (3× Vn, 2× Vc, Cb and optional Va) | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Five Elegiac Fragments for small orchestra | 9¼ mins | 2002 | |||||
| Forces: Small orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Flower Piece for string orchestra | 6 mins | 24th February 2023 | £18.95 | ||||
| Forces: String orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Four Swinburne Pictures for voice and piano | C to G' | 6¾ mins | £8.00 | ||||
| Words: A. C. Swinburne Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Hampshire Summers Orchestral Rhapsody for orchestra | 12 mins | 1996 | |||||
| Forces: Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Hope and Fear for five-part choir | 1992 | £4.00 | |||||
| Words: A. C. Swinburne Forces: Choir (SATBB) | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Hope and Fear arranged for solo baritone and piano | ,F to E' | 5½ mins | 1st September 2022 | £9.50 | |||
| Words: A. C. Swinburne Forces: Baritone, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Hope and Fear for solo baritone and string orchestra | ,F to E' | 5½ mins | 1st September 2022 | £12.50 | |||
| Words: A. C. Swinburne Forces: Baritone, String orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | In Rutland for solo ’Cello | 2000 | £10.45 | |||||
| Forces: ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | June Tune for piano | 2¼ mins | 2005 | £5.00 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Labyrinth for Orchestra | 7½ mins | 2nd April 2024 | |||||
| Forces: Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | March Hares for piano | 6 to 8 | 1 minute | 8th June 2013 | £2.50 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | May Song for piano | 4 mins | 2003 | £6.00 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Meditation for soprano, flute and harp | ,A to A' | 6¾ mins | 1994 | £9.45 | |||
| Words: Peter Thompson Forces: Soprano, Flute, Harp | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Nonet in twelve movements for woodwind, horn and strings | 16½ mins | 23rd May 2022 | £14.99 | ||||
| Forces: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, French horn, Two Violins, Viola, ’Cello, Double bass | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Pastoral for violin and piano | 1997 | £6.45 | |||||
| Forces: Violin, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Piano Sonata | Advanced (post-Grade 8) | 16 mins | 8th September 2022 | £15.95 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Pigeon for Voice and Piano | 2 mins | 22nd June 2019 | £5.50 | ||||
| Words: Julian Farmer Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Prayer Against Lightning for SATB | 2005 | £6.45 | |||||
| Words: St Columba • Translated by Julian Farmer Forces: Choir (SATB) | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Prelude for Orchestra “Stress” | 6 mins | 12th June 2009 | |||||
| Forces: Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Romance for Viola and Piano | 7 to 8 | 2 mins | 26th September 2012 | £5.95 | |||
| Forces: Viola, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Romance for Clarinet in B♭ and Piano | 7 to 8 | 2 mins | 1st September 2014 | £5.95 | |||
| Forces: Clarinet, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Roundels for violin and ’cello | 2006 | £9.50 | |||||
| Forces: Violin, ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Serenade for orchestra | 13½ mins | 17th August 2020 | |||||
| Forces: Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Sestina for Piano | 8 | 5½ mins | 7th May 2018 | £7.50 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Sidlesham Quay for piano | 5 to 7 | 2 mins | 13th November 2011 | £2.50 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Sketches & Fancies for piano | 26 mins | 1996 | £10.00 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Slumber Song for ’Cello and Piano | 2003 | £6.45 | |||||
| Forces: ’Cello, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Slumber Song for Violin and Piano | 2003 | £6.45 | |||||
| Forces: Violin, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Soliloquy for Piano | 8 to Advanced (post-Grade 8) | 4½ mins | 12th April 2015 | £5.95 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Sonata for ’Cello and Piano | 13½ mins | 1999 | £9.45 | ||||
| Forces: ’Cello, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Sonatina for treble recorder (or flute) and piano | 1995 | £7.45 | |||||
| Forces: Flute, Recorder, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Sonatina for bass clarinet (or bassoon) and ’cello | 7¾ mins | 1997 | £8.50 | ||||
| Forces: Bass clarinet, Bassoon, ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Sonatina for ’Cello and Piano | 10 mins | 2001 | £8.45 | ||||
| Forces: ’Cello, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Sonatina for Piano | 8 | 14 mins | 13th November 2011 | £9.50 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Sonnet for solo guitar | 1992 | £4.45 | |||||
| Forces: Guitar | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | South Coast Postcards for orchestra | 9¾ mins | 23rd May 2022 | |||||
| Forces: Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | String Quartet no 1 (score and parts) | 13¼ mins | 1993 | £14.50 | ||||
| Forces: Two Violins, Viola, ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | String Quartet no 2 ‘Integration’ (score and parts) | 4¼ mins | 1997 | £9.50 | ||||
| Forces: Two Violins, Viola, ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | String Quartet no 3 ‘Biblical Studies’ (score and parts) | 6½ mins | 2001 | £10.50 | ||||
| Forces: Two Violins, Viola, ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | String Quartet no 4 (score and parts) | 11¾ mins | 2005 | £14.50 | ||||
| Forces: Two Violins, Viola, ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | String Quartet no 5 (score and parts) | 5¾ mins | 2009 | £12.50 | ||||
| Forces: Two Violins, Viola, ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | String Quartet no 6 (score and parts) | 11¾ mins | 31st December 2014 | £14.50 | ||||
| Forces: Two Violins, Viola, ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | String Quartet no 7 (score and parts) | 11½ mins | 23rd February 2019 | £12.50 | ||||
| Forces: Two Violins, Viola, ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | String Trio for two violins and ’cello | 2002 | £11.50 | |||||
| Forces: Two Violins, ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite for Oboe and Piano | 11¼ mins | 1997 | £9.45 | ||||
| Forces: Oboe, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 01 ‘Little Suite’ for piano | 1998 | £6.45 | |||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 02 for piano | 9¼ mins | 1995 | £7.45 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 03 ‘Marc Chagall Suite’ for piano | 7 mins | 2006 | £6.75 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 04 ‘Suite of Months’ for piano | 4 to 7 | 1998 | £8.45 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 05 ‘Holiday Suite’ for piano | 6½ mins | 1998 | £7.45 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 06 ‘Catching the Light’ for piano | 2004 | £6.45 | |||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 07 for piano | 10 mins | 2006 | £8.45 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 08 ‘Nameless Days’ for piano | 2007 | £10.50 | |||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 09 ‘The Magic Box’ for piano | 6 to 7 | 2009 | £7.50 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 10 for piano | 7 to 8 | 9¾ mins | 4th July 2017 | £8.95 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 11 Spring 2020: ‘The Stain’ for piano | 7 | 6 mins | 1st February 2021 | £9.95 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 12 ‘Autumn Sketchbook’ for piano | 7 to 8 | 7 mins | 28th February 2022 | £10.25 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite no 13 ‘Greenwood Tales’ for piano | 6 to 8 | 8 mins | 16th July 2024 | £10.95 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Suite of Six Pipers for descant (or tenor) recorder or flute and piano | 1 to 3 | 2001 | £7.45 | ||||
| Forces: Flute, Recorder, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Symphonietta Doppio for orchestra | 6¾ mins | 26th April 2022 | |||||
| Forces: Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Symphony no 1 for orchestra | 20 mins | 2004 | |||||
| Forces: Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Symphony no 2 for orchestra | 27½ mins | 2008 | |||||
| Forces: Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Symphony no 3 for full orchestra | 18 mins | 7th November 2015 | |||||
| Forces: Full orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Symphony no 4 for orchestra | 15½ mins | 20th July 2020 | |||||
| Forces: Full orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Symphony no 5 ‘The Sonnet’ for orchestra | 13 mins | 3rd June 2024 | |||||
| Forces: Orchestra | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | The Fand Grade 5 Piano Album A selection of pieces to Grade 5 standard | 5 | 2008 | £9.95 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | The Fand Left-Hand Piano Album Contemporary Pieces for the Left Hand alone | 2004 | £11.45 | |||||
| Forces: Piano (left hand) | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | The Green of the Semiquaver for voice and piano | C to G♭' | 1994 | £5.45 | ||||
| Words: Pat Howell Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | The Lamb for voice and piano | C♯ to E' | 2002 | £4.75 | ||||
| Words: William Blake Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | The Moon for Women’s Voices (SAA) | 1½ mins | 19th July 2024 | £2.50 | ||||
| Words: Joseph Campbell Forces: Choir (SSA) | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | The Oblation for medium voice and piano | ,B♭ to D' | August 2010 | £4.95 | ||||
| Words: A. C. Swinburne Forces: Medium voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | The Renaissance Spirit in memoriam J.B.A. for piano | 8 | 5½ mins | 4th June 2011 | £7.95 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | The Teazles for Voice and Piano | 1½ mins | 22nd June 2019 | £5.50 | ||||
| Words: Roger Eno Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | The Wessex Piano Album Nine Easy Pieces by The Wessex Composer Group (John Barton Armstrong, David Llewellyn Green, Mark Andrews, Peter Thompson) | 1996 | £7.45 | |||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Theme for PASSO for Junior String Orchestra | 1¾ mins | 1996 | £12.50 | ||||
| Forces: Junior String Orchestra (3× Vn, 2× Vc, Cb and optional Va) | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Three Excursions for Two Flutes or Flute and Oboe | 2½ mins | 23rd May 2022 | £7.50 | ||||
| Forces: Two Flutes, Flute and Oboe | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Three Inventions for easy piano | 1 | 1999 | £6.00 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Three November Poems for piano | 5 mins | 1999 | £6.75 | ||||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Three Pieces for Piano | 3 to 5 | 6¼ mins | 19th February 2014 | £5.50 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Three Poems by Helen Clarke for medium voice and piano | ,B♭ to D' | 1996 | £7.45 | ||||
| Words: Helen Clarke Forces: Medium voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Three Ritornels for violin and piano | 1993 | £8.45 | |||||
| Forces: Violin, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Three Weston Pastels for easy ’cello and easy piano | 2008 | £3.50 | |||||
| Forces: ’Cello, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Toccata for Piano | 8 to Advanced (post-Grade 8) | 1¾ mins | 31st May 2015 | £5.45 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Top o’ the Morning for Brass Quintet | 1¾ mins | 1999 | £9.45 | ||||
| Forces: Two Trumpets, French horn, Trombone, Tuba | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Two Companions for two ’cellos | 4 to 5 | 2002 | £6.00 | ||||
| Forces: Two ’Cellos | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Two Henley Poems for voice and piano | C♭ to E' | 2002 | £7.00 | ||||
| Words: W. Henley Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Two Interludes for Piano Quartet | 5½ mins | 25th February 2023 | £12.95 | ||||
| Forces: Violin, Viola, ’Cello, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Two Marches for two ’cellos | 3 | 1994 | £4.00 | ||||
| Forces: Two ’Cellos | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Two Poems by Richard Crashaw for Medium Voice, Two Violins and ’Cello (score and parts) | 8¼ mins | 22nd June 2019 | £9.95 | ||||
| Words: Richard Crashaw Forces: Medium voice, Two Violins, ’Cello | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Two Robert Southey Poems for voice and piano | C to G♯' | 1999 | £6.75 | ||||
| Words: Robert Southey Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Two Wildflowers for Piano | 4 | 2 mins | 3rd February 2018 | £3.00 | |||
| Forces: Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | Ventimiglia for voice and piano | ,A to F' | 2½ mins | 2nd April 2024 | £6.50 | |||
| Words: A. C. Swinburne Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
 | Peter Thompson | When I was One-and-Twenty from ‘A Shropshire Lad’ for voice and piano | C♯ to F' | 1997 | £4.45 | ||||
| Words: A. E. Housman Forces: Voice, Piano | |||||||||
| Attribution | Work | Grade | Duration | Published | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Carey Blyton arr. Peter Thompson | Girl Friday Piano arrangement for easy piano | 4 to 5 | 2½ mins | 2nd April 2024 | £5.50 | ||
| Forces: Piano | ||||||||
 | Traditional arr. Peter Thompson | The Keys of Heaven Cheshire folksong for SATB | 3 mins | 13th November 2011 | £1.50 | |||
| Forces: Choir (SATB) | ||||||||
| Attribution | Work | Published | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Carey Blyton | Collected Short Stories and Summer in the Country (Autobiography) ISBN 0-9535125-4-1 | 2002 | £14.00 | ||
| Edited by Peter Thompson | ||||||
| Book | Published | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Composer Interviews no 1 Carey Blyton, interviewed by Peter Thompson ISBN 0-9535125-2-5 (second edition) | 19th May 2012 | £7.00 | ||
 | Composer Interviews no 2 John Barton Armstrong, interviewed by Peter Thompson ISBN 0-9535125-6-8 | 2007 | £7.00 | ||