Florence Margaret Spencer Palmer

{{Short description|British composer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}Florence Margaret Spencer Palmer (July 27, 1900 – March 29, 1987){{Cite web|last=Giraudet|first=Jean-Paul|date=2013-03-25|title=Florence Margaret Spencer Palmer|url=https://musicalics.com/en/node/93905|access-date=2022-01-07|website=musicalics.com|language=fr}} was a British composer{{Cite book|last=Hixon|first=Donald L.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/28889156|title=Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography|date=1993|publisher=Scarecrow Press|others=Don A. Hennessee|isbn=0-8108-2769-7|edition=2nd|location=Metuchen, N.J.|oclc=28889156}} who wrote several hymns and a piano pedagogy textbook. She published some of her works under the name Peggy Spencer Palmer.{{Cite book|last=Cohen|first=Aaron I.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5VsYAAAAIAAJ&q=strantz+louise|title=International Encyclopedia of Women Composers|date=1987|publisher=Books & Music (USA)|isbn=978-0-9617485-1-7|language=en}}

Spencer Palmer was the youngest of seven children born in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, to James and Amy Spencer Palmer. She was taught at home until age 10, when she attended school for five years. She then studied at the Royal Academy of Music,{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GY4PAAAAYAAJ&dq=Florence+Margaret+Spencer+Palmer&pg=PA100|title=The Musical Times and Singing-class Circular|date=1917|publisher=Novello|language=en}} and earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of London. Her teachers included Sir Ivor Atkins, Benjamin Dale, Vivian Longrish, Mabel G. Smith, and Norman Sprankling.{{Cite web|last=Doig|first=Chris|title=Spencer Palmer Children|url=https://www.thornburyroots.co.uk/families/palmer-children/|access-date=2022-01-07|website=Thornbury Roots|language=en-GB}}{{Cite book|last1=Evans|first1=Robert|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xZCvAwAAQBAJ&dq=Florence+Margaret+Spencer+Palmer&pg=PA316|title=Dictionary of Composers for the Church in Great Britain and Ireland|last2=Humphreys|first2=Maggie|date=1997-01-01|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-4411-3796-8|language=en}}

Spencer Palmer worked as an accompanist and secretary to Mrs. Catherine Booth-Clibborn (Kate Booth), the daughter of Salvation Army founder William Booth. She later taught music at the following schools:

• 1929–1947: Clarendon School, Malvern, Worcestershire
• 1948–1958: Redlands High School, Bristol
• 1959–1961 St. Brandon's School, Clevedon.

In 1923, Spencer Palmer received the Chappell Medal music award.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sDTOAAAAMAAJ&q=peggy+spencer+palmer|title=Chemist and Druggist: The Newsweekly for Pharmacy|date=1923|publisher=Benn Brothers|language=en}} She later won the Horatio Albert Lumb award for hymns and anthems. She was confirmed in the Church of England, and her compositions appeared in the Anglican Hymn Book.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W5oQAQAAMAAJ&q=Florence+Margaret+Spencer+Palmer|title=Anglican Hymn Book|date=1965|publisher=Church Book Room|language=en}} She arranged work by other composers, including Wings, a collection of songs by Amy Carmichael. Her works were published by Ascherberg Hopwood & Crew and Cramer & Co.