A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Prelleur, Peter

PRELLEUR, PETER, was of French extraction and in early life a writing master. About 1728 he was elected organist of St. Alban, Wood Street, and shortly afterwards engaged to play the harpsichord at Goodman's Fields Theatre, which he continued to do until the suppression of the theatre under the Licensing Act in 1737, composing also the dances and occasional music. In 1730 he published 'The Modern Musick Master, or, the Universal Musician' containing an introduction to singing, instructions for playing the flute, German flute, hautboy, violin, and harpsichord, with a brief History of Music, and a Musical Dictionary. In 1735 he was elected the first organist of Christ Church, Spitalfields. After the closing of Goodman's Fields Theatre he was engaged at a newly opened place of entertainment in Leman Street close by, called the New Wells, for which he composed some songs, and an interlude entitled 'Baucis and Philemon,' containing a good overture and some pleasing songs and duets, the score of which he published. Fifteen hymn tunes by him were included in a collection of twenty-four published by one Moze, an organist, in 1758, under the title of 'Divine Melody,' in which he is spoken of as if then dead.

[ W. H. H. ]