Choir director leads afinal ‘amen’


Howard Sonstegard

Howard Sonstegard

Ascension Lutheran Church will celebrate the quarter-century ministry of retiring choir director Howard Sonstegard with a tribute during the “All Music Sunday” worship service at 10 a.m. June 10 at the church, 1600 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks.

Sonstegard will retire at the end of June.

He has led Ascension through years of cantatas, hanging of the greens events, requiems and Tenebrae services as well as Sunday morning music offerings.

He also led the music at Fourth of July concerts in the park and other events.

As a youngster, Sonstegard sang as part of a quartet with his parents and his older brother at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in East Palo Alto. He became the church organist when he was 13 years old.

He began his music study at Cal Lutheran—then known as California Lutheran College—in 1963, two years after the school opened. He learned from Dr. C. Robert Zimmerman, eventually becoming his assistant conductor.

He earned his master’s degree in instrumental conducting, but worked with choirs.

“To be able to shape voices and mold the music with voices— human voices are so much more flexible than instruments. There are so many different things you can do with the human voice,” Sonstegard said. “The repertoire and the literature that’s written for choirs is amazing, from Baroque music on.”

Sonstegard earned his credential after graduating, and worked as a teacher for the old Valley Oaks School District in 1969. After two years, he worked for the Pleasant Valley School District in Camarillo.

He spent 21 years at Monte Vista Intermediate School, teaching band, marching band, choir, strings and beginning band.

Having taken a minor in physical education, he also taught physical education and coached track, cross country, softball and volleyball while serving as Ascension’s organist and later, as director of the church’s 50-voice Chancel Choir and head of music and worship.

His successor has yet to be named.