Director of Music at First Congregational Church since November of 2002, Tracy Shirk is a graduate of West Texas (State) A & M University in Canyon where he did undergraduate and graduate work in conducting and voice working with Royal Brantley, Cloyce Kuhnert, Robert Hansen, Hugh Sanders and René Clausen. A native of the Houston area, he is currently on the adjunct faculty of Montgomery College and serves as tenor soloist at Temple Beth Israel. For many years he directed barbershop choruses and has sung lead in several championship barbershop quartets. As a tenor, Mr. Shirk has sung operatic and musical theater roles, and solos in major works, oratorios and recitals throughout the Southwest with such organizations as Da Camera of Houston, the Amarillo Opera, Houston Masterworks Chorus, the Victoria Bach Festival, New Texas Music Works, Cantare Houston and Conspirare, whose CD Requiem was nominated for two 2007 Grammy® awards.