Choreographer Patricia Mowat and her father Stuart Mills, who has been with the Robert Wood Singers for close to 40 years, moments before going on stage at the 40th anniversary performance last Sunday in Welland.

It was truly a "sentimental journey" as the Robert Wood Singers began their performance last Sunday with this nostalgic tune that evokes memories for many of the 1960s.

Celebrating their 40th anniversary the choir was singing to an almost full house at the Central United Church in Welland.

Choir director Deanna Schaus said, "To have the choir continue for over 40 years is very impressive."

The Robert Wood Singers choir was founded in 1968 in Port Colborne by Robert Wood.

At that time he was director for the Port Colborne Operatic Society. By 1970 the initial membership of 18 had grown to 65 and the choir has been between 55 and 65 members ever since.

Eight years ago when Robert Wood retired, Schaus, who was the assistant director, took on the responsibility of musical director.

"I sang with the choir for over 20 years before taking on this role," she told Niagara This Week.

"The longevity of the choir is due so much to the quality of the choir, the dedication of the musicians and the loyalty of the audiences," she said.

Schaus said she could not be the musical director without the support of all those people.

"And we owe so much to our accompanists Darlene Oord, choir accompanist and Ruth Maher, accompanist for the Wood Kids," she said.

She spoke highly also of Patricia Mowat, from Port Colborne, the choreographer, whose father Stuart Mills has been a singer with the choir for close to 40 years.

Schaus took over as the musical director when Robert Wood retired in 2000.

The choir has members from the Niagara Peninsula as well as Haldimand county.

Two of the current members Tony Mancuso and Brian White, who are tenors, have been with the group since it began in 1968.

It is those four decades that became the focus of the anniversary celebration at the church.

Mancuso was featured as a soloist with the Wood Kids.

In 1983 Robert Wood began this youth choir and it currently has a membership of 14 girls ranging in ages from 9 to 17 years.

Some of the kids from the past are now in the adult choir including Daniel Blokzyl and Jennifer Minor.

The vision Wood had for the choir in the Port Colborne-Welland area, included its role performing charitable concerts.

The choir provides funding to assist in the promotion of music in the community as well as providing funds for other charitable organizations in the region.

The choir has performed for charitable organizations in the region and in Nottingham, England, Sarnia, Goderich, Chatham and at the Skydome.

The anniversary performance gave the audience an afternoon of top songs from the 1968, '78, '88, '98 and 2000.

"It's a good mix of music. Quite the variety. There's something for everybody," said Schaus.