George H. Fergus
Director of Music
We are truly excited about what God has in store for Christ Church and for the world through the ministry of George Fergus. We look forward to welcoming him along with his wife, Kerry Auer, and their two-year-old son, Teddy, into the community of Christ Church on August 1, 2022.
George Fergus was the Associate Director of Music and Chorister Program Director at Washington National Cathedral before coming to Christ Church. He maintained an active schedule of rehearsals and services in the cathedral’s music program, as well as appearing on the cathedral’s online stream of worship services and recitals, including the annual Christmas Day, Easter Day, and Independence Day concerts. He accompanied the Cathedral Choirs on domestic and international concert tours, and has appeared on concerts with Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Bach Consort, and the American University Chorus. George is an active recitalist, both as an organist and collaborative pianist. Concerts this spring have taken him to Berkeley, Cal., Richmond, Va., as well as his home of Washington, D.C. During his tenure at the National Cathedral, he has played for the memorial services of several notable public figures, including Liu Xiaobo and President George H. W. Bush. His performances have been featured on Pipedreams from Minnesota Public Radio and NPR’s 1A.
George earned the Master of Music degree in organ performance and Certificate in Church Music Studies from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and a Bachelor of Music degree from St. Olaf College. Upon graduation from Yale in 2016, George was awarded the Gerre Hancock Fellowship in Church Music by the Association of Anglican Musicians, which he served at Washington National Cathedral before being appointed to the full-time music staff there. Prior to his appointment in Washington, he served as Organ Scholar at Grace Church in New York, and Choirmaster and Organist of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.
George Fergus serves as the Director of Music at historic Christ Church in downtown Savannah, Georgia. He follows in a long lineage of clergy and lay leaders who have held prominent places in Episcopal church music and hymnody, including Jerome Meachen, F. Bland Tucker, and John Wesley. At Christ Church, George coordinates and oversees the music program in all its many offerings, including liturgical music, a children’s choir, an annual concert series, as well as a project to overhaul and renovate the 1972 Harrison & Harrison organ that is a mainstay of worship and music at the church. He arrived in Savannah after serving as Associate Director of Music at Washington National Cathedral. Notable achievements while at the Cathedral include revitalizing the chorister program, founding a new choral ensemble for high school singers, and playing the organ or conducting the Cathedral Choir for services, concerts, and tours, and for several services of national significance, including the funeral services of John McCain, Madeleine Albright, and President George H. W. Bush.
Outside of his role as a church musician, George is active as an organ recitalist, collaborative pianist, and choral conductor. Recent concert engagements have taken him to Richmond, San Francisco, Dallas, and Philadelphia, and his performances have been featured on Pipedreams from Minnesota Public Radio and NPR’s 1A.
He is the founder and artistic director of Musica Atlantica, a professional chamber choir based in Savannah and in residence at Christ Church. Musica Atlantica is committed to offering concerts of powerful, relevant, and approachable chamber choral music that spans the breadth of the tradition. Recent and upcoming concerts include “Songs of Deliverance” featuring Hubert Parry’s Songs of Farewell, and “To Build a Home” in collaboration with Baltimore-based Bridge Voices.
George earned a B.M. in Organ Performance from St. Olaf College, where he studied with John Ferguson and Catherine Rodland. He went on to earn his M.M. in Organ Performance with a Church Music Certificate from Yale University, studying with Martin Jean. While at Yale, he served as the Organ Scholar at Grace Church NYC, working and coaching with Patrick Allen. Following his graduation from Yale, he was the second recipient of the Gerre Hancock Fellowship in Church Music from the Association of Anglican Musicians, which he served for one year at Washington National Cathedral before being appointed to the permanent music staff there. George now serves on the Internship Committee for AAM, of which he is an active member.
George lives in Savannah with his wife, Kerry, and three-year-old son, Teddy. In his spare time, he enjoys playing board games, visiting local breweries, and spending time on his newest obsession: yard work.