Palmer, Florence Mary Spencer (Peggy)

Composer

b Thornbury, Glos 1900, d Bristol 1987. She attended the Tobias Mathay Piano Sch, London, studying under Vivian Langrish (piano), B J Dale and Sir Ivor Atkins (composition); LRAM. Following other non-musical jobs, from 1929 to 1947 she was Director of Music at Clarendon School (public sch for girls), Malvern. The school moved in 1948 to Abergele, Conwy, N Wales (later to Bedford following a fire disaster); that year FMSP became a visiting piano teacher at Redland High School in Bristol. She composed music for her schools, some of it published, and 4 single-stanza songs (words and music) to CSSM/Scripture Union Choruses, Bk 2, 1938. While one of her hymn tunes has been widely used (featuring in Anglican, Baptist, Congregational, URC and general books), her music is known mainly among evangelical churches. 3 of her tunes, however, feature in Congregational Praise (1951, where her surname is given as Spencer Palmer) and one in its 1991 successor Rejoice and Sing. No.275.