ELLWOOD CITY - The lyrics of a well-known musical production number proclaim "Gotta Sing!"

Those words might as well be the motto of the Ellwood City Civic Chorale.

The choir grew from graduating students who had sung in Ellwood City's Lincoln High School and felt they still had a lot of singing left to do.

Now in its 50th year, four of the original members are still carrying a tune together.

If you ask Fanny Santis Ottaviani, Audrey Smith Borison, Beverly Daubert Gianni and Katie Paul Johns why they've kept coming to choir practice and performing for five decades after graduation, the answer they give is exactly the same: "I love to sing."

Originally called the Alumni Choir, the group used to accept only alumni of Lincoln High, but over the years it has expanded to incorporate members from all over Lawrence, Beaver and Butler counties. Once members join on, they stay.

"When people join, we tell them, 'You're not only joining a choir, you're getting a new family'," said Ottaviani with a smile. "People are faithful."

"We have the best time," agreed Borison.

"It's something to do on a Sunday night," added Johns, downplaying the enjoyment she's received from spending a huge chunk of her adult life among friends who like singing as much as she does.

"It's our social life," said Gianni, explaining choir members begin making pies together in the spring in anticipation of their big fund-raiser pie sale at the Ellwood City Fourth of July celebration. Performances are followed by visits to restaurants.

The group begins weekly choir practices about Labor Day for the Christmas concert season and again in January for the spring concert season.

Their repertoire includes secular and sacred music, some show tunes and a bit of the novelty stuff. They learn upwards of 15 new pieces for a performance season. Each season's music is chosen by a committee within the choir.

Since Joyce Gindlesperger assumed the duties of choir director in 1994, the group has added choreography and props to the performance.

A Mars resident, Gindlesperger has worked her way from singer, to accompanist, to assistant director and director in the more than two decades she's been part of the group.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the group made a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., to do what they do best: sing.

On Oct. 9, the 40 members sang one performance on the Tomorrow Land stage in the Magic Kingdom.