PAST, PRESENT and future merged Sunday when Diablo Light Opera Company celebrated its 40th anniversary with its not-to-be forgotten "Nostalgia Concert" at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts.

Directed by Rhoda Klitsner, the program brought back favorite songs from the very first show, "Pirates of Penzance," to "Me and My Girl," which was so popular in 1991 that it will return to the Regional Center in January, again directed by Klitsner.

Much of the pleasure in this most unusual event came from seeing recent as well as old friends. I wish I could list all the wonderful people who have given us such pleasure over the years, but here are a few:

Bill Carrol, Marion Russon, Frank and Judy Ryken, Ardith Bertorello, Mellene Bruen, Bill Disbrow, Ted Weiss, Don Julin, Ruth Anne Wheeler, Steve Kinsella, Kerry Sable, Maddie Caskey, Bobbi Bach, Pam Koepf, David Smidebush, Diane Kamrin, Jeff Seaberg, Terry Darcy D'Emidio, Betty Harwood, Grete Egan, and, of course, Rhoda.