St. George's Music Staff

Mark Ring, Director of Music Ministries

mark.ring@stgeorgesnashville.org
Ext. 254

Dr. Mark Ring is in his first year as Director of Music Ministries at St. George’s Episcopal Church. He holds the DMA, MMA and MM degrees in Choral Conducting from Yale University and the BM (summa cum laude) in Organ Performance from Union University. He was previously Director of Choral Activities at the University of Notre Dame, and was Assistant University Organist/Choirmaster at Yale University. His organ teachers have included Thomas Murray, Charles Krigbaum, Daniel Roth and Scott Bennett. He comes to Nashville from Minnesota, where he was Organist/Choirmaster at Gethsemane Episcopal Cathedral, Artistic Director of Voices of Concord, Artistic Director of the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale, and Director of Choral Activities at Moorhead High School. He has also served as an opera chorus master and has a special love for the choral-orchestral repertoire. He has conducted hundreds of performances throughout the US, Europe and the Caribbean, including at Carnegie Hall, in audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, and the Abbey at Mont St-Michel in France. His most recent Italian tour included conducting in Florence, Venice, Pisa and Lucca. Dr. Ring and his family reside in Franklin.

Gerry Senechal, Associate Director of Music Ministries & Organist

gerry.senechal@stgeorgesnashville.org
Ext. 252

Gerry Senechal began his musical career at the age of eight when he became organist of his father’s Episcopal church. At ten, he joined the All Saints’ Men and Boys Choir of Worcester, Massachusetts under the direction of Ron Stalford. He sang with All Saints’ for four years, touring England with the choir and eventually being named Head Chorister. He left All Saints’ in 1994 to serve as Organist of Oakdale United Methodist Church in West Boyston, Massachusetts, where he remained until leaving for college. Gerry continued his education at the University of the South, where he received two prestigious music awards: the Judy Running Memorial Prize and Gilbert Gilchrist Memorial Music Award. He also was included in Who’s Who of American College Students, and was elected President of the University Choir which toured England three times. Upon graduation, Gerry completed a two-year music internship at West End United Methodist Church in Nashville before beginning ministry at St. George’s, where he now serves as Associate Director of Music Ministries. He is particularly passionate about his work directing St. Gregory’s Choir, who served as Choir-in-Residence at Washington National Cathedral this past July. He has played numerous concerts in the US and has toured with various groups overseas. Gerry enjoys improvisation, and in 2006 became a published composer when St. James Music Press released fourteen of his original free hymn accompaniments.

Kim Messer, Music Librarian & Administrator

kim.messer@stgeorgesnashville.org
Ext. 253

Kim Messer comes to St. George’s with over 10 years in the music publishing business. Her love of performance art began as a young child and has continued through her life and career. Kim is a creative consultant who for over 5 years has served in roles such as product developer, record producer, video director, editor and event planner. She has worked for companies across the creative spectrum such as Nashville Children’s Theatre and Lillenas Publishing Company. She has several church musicals in print as well as a book on scriptwriting, and she served as executive producer on the 2009 Dove Award Winner, An Island Christmas for Youth/Children’s Musical. In addition, Kim has done various projects for companies such as Saddleback Church, LifeWay Music Service, Brentwood Benson and Fla.vor Alliance Media Group. Kim resides with her daughter Emma in beautiful Franklin, TN.

Laurel Fisher

Laurel Fisher is assisting Mr. Senechal with development of our young singers. Her background with the Royal School of Church Music and dedication to young people will enable her to enhance and promote our devotion to Anglican church music.

A graduate of the Orlando Deanery Girls Choir and the Royal School of Church Music curriculum, Miss Fisher has since completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in vocal performance. During her studies in Western North Carolina, she was actively involved in the Asheville Lyric Opera chorus and assisted the ALO Vocal Arts Program for middle and high school aged singers. In the spring of 2008, she developed a community music program for students at Gateway Christian Community in Asheville, NC to learn basics of singing, aural skills, and music theory. Miss Fisher now calls Nashville home and is a member of St. George’s choir and assists in vocal coaching for both St. Dunstan’s and St. Gregory’s youth choirs.


Rachel Hansbury

Rachel Hansbury is a Masters of Music candidate at Austin Peay State University where she studies voice with Dr. Sharon Mabry. She completed her undergraduate degree in Music - Vocal Performance at the University of Saint Thomas in Houston, TX where she was a student of Dr. Brady Knapp. She has worked as a staff singer and children's music intern at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church where she accompanied the adult choir in a choral residency at Wells Cathedral, England. She is a regular proctor at the Gulf Coast RSCM Summer courses where she has participated in courses led by Bruce Neswick, Tom Whittemore, and Gerre Hancock. Her passion for working in children's music also led to her work as a music teacher at St. Martin's Episcoal Children's Center and Montessori Country Day School in Houston, TX. She is thrilled to currently work with the enthusiastic youth and staff of St. George's Episcopal in Nashville, TN.