Featured Singer: Diane Sergeant

Diane was born into an Orpington family with two loves – music and motorbikes, these have stayed with her and a passion for arts and crafts have been added to make for an interesting mix.

Diane’s first significant venture in music was at age 5 to join the Orpington Junior Singers, an all girl choir. Sheila Mossman, their Music Director was a significant musical influence and it was with the OJS that Diane first performed “The Dream” in the choir of angelicals – and it has remained a firm favourite. The OJS created many opportunities, not least performing for the BBC and in her early teens visiting Norway. While the OJS was Diane’s musical foundation, the All Saints Church Choir Orpington, which she joined at 13, was a major stepping stone as she was now singing in a full SATB choir for the first time.

Diane left Newstead Wood Grammar School for Girls in 1977, undertook a secretarial course and as part of that course undertook work experience at what was then Price Waterhouse. The result was that Diane eventually became their youngest Partner’s Secretary, and later moved to Coopers and Lybrand in a similar role.

In 1980 Diane married Kevin, a tenor in All Saints Church choir, and they moved to Maidstone. Diane has two children Andrew and Jonathan. In 1988 Diane became a mature part time student at Kent Institute of Art and Design, obtaining a BA hons in 1994 – which was to be the springboard for the later creation of her own company. She returned to Coopers in 1990, initially job sharing, and became office manager in 1997. In 2002, she seized an opportunity for voluntary redundancy, switched careers into interior design/decoration and in 2005 formed Enaid Design Ltd.

The move to Maidstone interrupted the intensity of Diane’s musical activity. She joined St Michael & All Angels choir, and then in 1993 joined Maidstone Choral Union and was a founding member of the Maidstone Singers.  At the same time she sang with All Saints Festival Choir in Orpington (with Marilyn), alternating Tuesday evening rehearsals with MCU.  Diane started singing lessons in 1997 with Simon Tatnall, discovered that she was a soprano – not an alto, and gained grade 8 in singing. One of Diane’s favourite pieces of music is Lauridsen’s “Magnum Mysterium” – and she still prefers the alto line!

 Diane has been on all MCU/TMS tours since 1998, which she values highly and feels very honoured to have been asked to sing solos on several of the tours abroad. She readily acknowledges that these tours have opened up her horizons and afforded an opportunity to sing in the most amazing and uplifting places in Europe.

In 1998 Diane joined Holy Cross Church Choir, a choir with a great reputation. Not long after joining Holy Cross Choir, Diane was instrumental in forming “Barbishop”, a ladies barbershop group and in 2010 Mixed Blessings was formed by Tom Lee, which brought together the two barbershop groups loosely related to the Church choir. Mixed Blessings perform about 10 times per year. Perhaps the highlight of her association with Holy Cross was to be invited to join with New Beacon Chapel Choir to sing in the Vatican. 

Diane is now married to Leslie, and they first met at All Saints Church youth club when Diane was 13, and were reunited at a reunion in the year 2000. Leslie shares Diane’s love of music and motorbikes.

Diane leads a busy life outside of work. Apart from TMS, Holy Cross Choir, Barbishop and Mixed Blessings, she is an executive member of Maidstone Area Arts Partnership, founded and helps to run the “Can’t Sew Club”, and currently has an exhibition of artwork at the Grind Cafe Allington. Diane founded the Maidstone Visual Artists Network and is also a member of Vir-Art, a local contemporary art group. She relaxes at home with her 10 chickens and 2 springer spaniels.

Diane’s ambitions for 2014 are to make a success of the Maidstone Arts Carnival Parade – she is a lead organiser, and also to complete her house extension. Don’t put any money on the latter!