Members

Marlon Hurst, Artistic Director
Marlon Hurst has been the Artistic Director of the Lexington Bach Choir since the fall of 2009. A native of London, Kentucky, Marlon holds a bachelor's degree in sacred music from Cumberland College (KY) (1990) where he was a student of the late Dr. Joe Tarry, and a master of music in choral conducting from the University of Tennessee (1992) where he studied with Dr. David Stutzenberger. From 1997-2002, he was the Director of Music at Conyers Presbyterian Church (GA). While in the Atlanta area, he sang with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Chorus, and in 2002 was a member of the professional chorus, the Atlanta Singers. Through the Carnegie Hall Conductor's Workshop, he has sung under the baton of Helmut Rilling, André Previn and Sir Neville Marriner. Since 2003, Marlon, his wife Jennifer and their two daughters have lived in Kentucky where he is the Director of Music and Arts at First Presbyterian Church of Lexington.

Jeff Jones, Accompanist and Assistant Conductor
William Jeffrey Jones currently serves as the Director of Music and Organist for The Presbyterian Church, Danville, Kentucky where he also works as organist and adjunct keyboard instructor for Centre College. A native of Decatur, Georgia, Jeff holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Church Music from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. His organ teachers have included Timothy Wissler, Larry Smith, and Boyd Jones. As a church musician, his focus has been on hymnody and congregational singing. As a published author, he has contributed writings in the areas of hymnology and worship. Jeff has held leadership positions in the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists and is a member of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians where he is presently serving as the Conference Director for the 2011 Montreat Worship and Music Conference. In his free time he enjoys gardening and caring for his extensive collection of finches and canaries.

Soprano

Elizabeth Arnold
Roberta Chase-Borgatti
Kathi Waa Fleming
Jennifer Hurst

Alto

Susan Carey
Diane Timmons-Rose
Stephanie Rose

Nancy Vickers works as a National Program Administrator at The Council of State Governments. She has a Ph.D. in religious education, and a Master's degree in Christian Education with a Church Music Conducting minor. She studied voice privately, and has sung in ensembles and church choirs for many years, as well as the Birmingham (AL) Symphony Chorus.

Tenor

Matt Gabbard holds degrees in music (vocal performance) from Georgetown College and from the University of Louisville (choral conducting). While at UofL, he studied under Dr. Kent Hatteberg, and sang in the Collegiate Chorale, which performed at the inauguration of president George W. Bush in 2001. Matt served as minister of music at Shiloh United Methodist Church in Jasper, IN, and First Baptist Church in Huntingburg, IN. He currently fills his days caring for his son at home, and working as a part-time certified flight instructor. He and his wife, Christi, also have a daughter.

John Linker spends about 6 ½ days a week as Organist/Choirmaster of Church of the Good Shepherd in Lexington, but on Tuesday evenings happily serves as tenor singer in the Lexington Bach Choir. For John, who spends most of his time directing choirs and teaching private music students, singing in the Bach Choir is a fun time to enjoy being a singer and to celebrate great music with great fellow musicians. A native of Princeton, Illinois, John holds music degrees from Northern Illinois University, Chicago Musical College (Roosevelt University), and is pursuing a DMA at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. When not teaching, directing, or playing recitals, John works to improve his other more marginal skills such as gardening and cooking. John is married to Lexington native Molly McCann Linker, and both are proud guardians to two lively indoor felines, Nigel and Pierre, and a porch cat, Tom. www.johnlinker.com 

Carl Wagoner is currently the Pastor of Victory Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Lexington, where he has served since 2001. Throughout his career, he has been an active student, teacher and performer of "classical" choral music. He studied voice under Phyllis Jenness at the University of Kentucky from 1977-1982. He also studied with Melissa Baber and Randall Black. While at the University he also sang in the University Chorus, Choristers and Chorale, as well as the Collegium Musicum. Upon receiving his BA in voice in 1982 he pursued a Master's Degree in Conducting under the supervision of Sara Holroyd and Philip Miller. During this study he was acting Director of Choral Activities at the University for 1 year. His Thesis work included a presentation of Bach's Cantata 106 Gottes Zeit ist die Allerbeste Zeit. He received the MM Degree in December of 1983. Since 1983 he has served as Minister of Music at North Middletown Christian Church (DOC), 1st Presbyterian Church, Mt. Sterling KY, and Lafayette Christian Church (DOC), in Lexington. From 2005-2009 he served as Music Director and Adjunct Professor of Church Music at Lexington Theological Seminary.

Bass

Christopher Baker

Alex Clay's dominant musical work has been with the Christ Church Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, Lexington, KY. He joined the group in 1993 as a treble and shortly thereafter moved to counter-tenor and then to bass. While away at school, he participated in choruses, including Collegium Musicum at Oberlin College. In addition to singing, he's played the clarinet, saxophone, piano and dabbled in composition. He has travelled abroad numerous times performing solo work in Canterbury and Lincoln Cathedrals in the U.K. Alex says, "I believe music is one of life's greatest joys and I am glad to have found a talented group that shares that joy in the Lexington Bach Choir."

Keith Neisler

Board of Directors

Ben Arnold, President
Rick Stafford, Vice President
Nancy J. Vickers, Secretary
Roderick Brotherton, Treasurer

Members at large:
Pamela Jenkins, Jeff Jones, William James Marshall, Dan Rowland, Meg Saunders, Joe Tackett