OUR COMPOSERS

 

Margaret R. Tucker

 

Margaret R. Tucker is a native of South Dakota where she attended Yankton College. She received the Bachelor of Music degree in organ from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. In addition, she holds masters degrees in cultural anthropology and choral conducting from the University of Houston. She has served as church organist and/or choir director in Chicago, Illinois; Owatonna, Minnesota; and Houston, Texas; taught music in United Church of Christ mission schools in Turkey; and was one of the first Commissioned Ministers of Music in the UCC.

Margaret has more than forty handbell and children's choir pieces in print from fifteen publishing houses. Her handbell compositions have won both national and area composition contents. She has served as conductor/clinician for local, area and national handbell festivals and seminars. In 1992 she was festival director for the Handbell Ringers of Japan and in 1996 was one of the directors of the International Handbell Symposium.

Recently she retired after serving First Congregational Church (UCC), Houston, Texas, as Minister of Music for twenty years. She is a member of The American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (has served as national Music Chairman), The Greater Houston Handbell Association (has served as president), Choristers Guild (has served as local chapter president) and The American Guild of Organists. She also directed the Houston Bronze Ensemble, an auditioned handbell choir, for over four years.

Margaret is married to the Reverend Robert H. Tucker. They have three grown children and two grandsons.