Tuckey, William

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Tuckey, William

Tuckey, William, English-American singer, singing teacher, and composer; b. Somerset, 1708; d. Philadelphia, Sept. 14, 1781. He claimed to have been a vicar-choral at Bristol Cathedral before going to N.Y. in 1753, where he was active as a singer and singing teacher until 1773; also conducted what was probably the first American performance of Handel’s Messiah (Jan. 16,1770; overture and 16 numbers). About 1773 he settled in Philadelphia, where he was made clerk at St. Peter’s Church in 1778. He wrote several hymn tunes.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire