Bonnie Litteral hanging up choir robe

Bonnie Litteral wanted to put on a children’s choir Christmas program so badly in 1986 that she offered to do it free of charge at Oakland Presbyterian Church.

The church agreed, and after the first of the year, Litteral, who had volunteered for the position of children’s choir director, became a paid employee. She remained in the position for nearly four decades, teaching little children how to stand and breathe and carry their voices while performing a song.

Litteral is retiring after 38 years of leading young singers on the stage of the church sanctuary.

Her sidekick for the last 32 years has been piano accompanist Connie King, who also is retiring from her volunteer position.

The pair built the church’s children’s choir program together, and it continued to grow as members invited their friends to join too.

“A lot of the children, many who have gone through the program, their parents were the original cast in that original program,” Litteral said. “I said, when I start teaching the grandchildren, it’s time to go.”

Her own son and two grandchildren have performed as members of the children’s choir.

Litteral’s first production was “A Night for Dancing,” and it featured the children portrayed as the animals that visited Mary and Joseph’s manger. She remembers Mary, Joseph and the angel being highly sought-after parts.

Litteral hosted the popular music camp in the summer — and she doesn’t mind bragging that two of her former students have made it to the professional level.

“We have Whitney Abell, who was in our first music camp, and she’s now an actress,” Litteral said. “Her mother sent me — she wrote an essay for college — ‘The first time I knew what I wanted to do in college was when I was in this church play.’”

Another former choir member is Andrew Kennedy, a professional musician.

COMMUNITY IN SONG

The Presbyterian church previously had a children’s choir, run by Fran Stanford and Lynn Howard in the 1970s. At some point, the young singers grew up and the choir came to an end.

Litteral came to the church in 1985 with her two little children in tow, and she approached the leaders about starting another children’s choir so her little ones could have the experience.

At that time, there was an adult choir led by Dan Gordon, director of music, plus Mark Garlock on organ. When Litteral saw how many children were participating in singing during the week of Vacation Bible School, she talked to Gordon about starting a young choir. He wasn’t interested in leading it. But she certainly was.

“When I first got hired, I think my salary was $1,800 for the entire year,” she said. “The program started with 25 kids sitting together, and we would sing and play games, and I had them for about an hour on Wednesday nights in the adult choir room before the adults came in.”

She got her own room for her young choir once she started accumulating children’s instruments.

The first summer music camp was held in 1992, and the program was “The Greatest Show on Heaven and Earth.”

“(Connie and I) would cast the shows together, and when we audition the kids … we always ask, ‘What part would you like to do?’” Litteral said. “Sometimes it was surprising to me the kid who would want the lead role. … The thing that I most enjoyed was the kids who were too afraid to speak out when they were younger who wouldn’t say a one-liner or even come to the microphone, but (years later) they were comfortable and would have a speaking part.”

The choir grew as children were having fun and wanted their friends to join. They learned how to sing hymns and service music such as the doxology and Gloria Patri. They sang in church worship services and performed in a Christmas pageant and during Palm Sunday.

But times change, and Litteral had to change with them. In recent years, she has switched to teaching the kids praise songs, and she has found that children want shows that don’t have many lines or that can be read off a script.

“The kids don’t get the experience of singing,” she said. “Children used to enjoy singing more than they do now. They put themselves up against (the) impossible … they all want to sing like Ariana Grande, they want to sing like ‘Wicked.’ … It kind of breaks my heart a little bit that we don’t let them sing simple songs. That’s how they learn to use their voice.”

Litteral said she is excited about the coming year when a new program debuts for families and children of all ages. The church will offer a rotation of classes, some musical, led by Becca White, Kids and Family director.

Arthritis has slowed down Litteral, so it’s time for someone new to lead.

“Teachers never sit,” she said. “You have to be up, you have to be walking. … You don’t just say, ‘Do this.’ You’re up dancing with them, showing them how to hold an instrument. With the physical part of the job, I don’t feel like I’m giving the kids the (experience) they deserve.”

What’s next for Litteral? She told her husband, Jack, she would like to be a substitute teacher.

“You can pick your days,” she said. “I think I’m going to try my hand at subbing so I can still be around kids.”

King is grateful to have accompanied the children’s choir when her grandson was involved. She didn’t expect to stay 32 years, but she said she was ready to leave when Litteral announced her retirement.

“I was going to retire when my grandson aged out, but he’s 37 now,” King said.