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Join us for a spellbinding
Summer of Love!
CREATIVE MINDS - an exciting new project, in conjunction with West Kent Mind, starts in July. Watch this space for more details!
ALL ABOUT US ...
If you're looking for emotional uplift or just want to sing soulful songs with a bunch of friendly people, come along to enjoy some warm companionship in our supportive singing group.
We learn a wide range of songs by ear - and you don't need any prior musical knowledge or experience of singing in choir.
Please make your way to the little blue door round the side of the building. We have a small car park at the Church and roadside parking alongside, including disabled bays if you need them. There's no fee as our little Wellbeing Choir is grant-funded.
If health or mobility is a problem, please let us know and we'll see what we can do to help. For more information, please contact jacky.hintze@outlook.com or give Jacky a call on 07708 237415.
OUR ROOTS
The D'Vine Singers are a friendly, informal group who meet to sing for fun, with a strong focus on mental wellbeing. We take our name from the Vine Baptist Church in Sevenoaks, where we meet from 12.00-1.30 pm on Fridays. The group began life as part of a funded research study into singing and mental health. When the project came to an end, with the value of singing getting a definite ‘thumbs up’, we were keen to carry on as an independent group and here we are today, still going strong after many happy years of mutual support.
Sevenoaks Town Mayor, Rachel Parry, and consort, Richard, along with Louise from IMAGO, joined us to celebrate our 8th birthday in October. Despite the cold weather, they were delighted that we were able to give a warm welcome!
IT'S TIME TO GO NOW
We said a sad fond farewell to Pauline, a dear friend and member of the D'Vine Singers for many years, seen here with some of her singing friends. Her funeral on 14th November finished with the Padstow Farewell - one of her favourite shanties.
SINGING FOR FUN
We sing rounds and simple part songs, learnt by ear, covering all kinds of music so there is something for everyone to enjoy. You don’t have to read music and there is no audition. We continue to have a strong focus on mental wellbeing, as we believe in the power of singing to lift the spirits and provide companionship. We think this is especially important after the dark, dreary days of Covid and cost-of-living crisis. If you’d like to get out and meet people while creating uplifting harmonies together, please get in touch with Jacky, on 07708 237415 or email jacky.hintze@outlook.com*
Kitted out in his Royal Navy uniform to mark Remembrance Day 2022, Chairman Miller is pictured here with his backing singers: Kay, Eleanor, Kathy ... and newcomers Linda and Margaret, who came aboard the merry crew this autumn.
SINGING FOR WELLBEING
‘Singing for mental health and wellbeing’ Kent-wide research project 2014
The D’Vine Singers began life in 2014 as part of a research study into ‘singing and mental wellbeing’ by the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health at Canterbury Christ Church University. The research was funded by the NHS in conjunction with Kent County Council’s Wellbeing campaign. During the study, participants were asked to evaluate their mental wellbeing according to questions based on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, a recognised questionnaire that is used as a measure of mental health in the UK.
Once the research came to a close, with highly positive results, the singers were keen to continue with the weekly singing and a committee of volunteers was set up to run The D’Vine Singers as an independent community group. Although the sessions are open to everyone, we feel it is important to maintain the focus on mental health, so occasionally we ask members to think about whether the group singing has made a difference to their lives. To date the responses have all been positive, particularly in lifting mood and reducing social isolation.
Although we mainly sing for fun, we do enjoy getting out and about in the community from time to time and hold an annual concert to raise funds. There's no pressure to take part but lots of people find they get a 'buzz' from these occasions. We often sing with other choirs, like Eden Songsters, seen here with us in 2018.
THIS YEAR'S FUND-RAISER: A 'SUMMER OF LOVE'
Don't miss our upcoming concert on Saturday 1st July!
Among our special guests this year, we're thrilled to welcome - for the first time - West Kent Mind's very own Skiffle Band, who will help get us in the mood for 'Love'!
FOR FRIENDSHIP AND SUPPORT
VOLUNTEER DRIVER URGENTLY NEEDED!
The D'Vine Singers welcome anyone who enjoys singing in a friendly group. But for some people it's a problem just getting there! Right now we're looking for a driver to take 2 of our singers from Tunbridge Wells to Sevenoaks to help them avoid a long and arduous bus trip. This involves transporting a small motorised wheelchair, which folds to fit inside most cars. If you think you could help, please email jacky.hintze@outlook.com or call 07708 237415.
If you can't offer transport but would like to help in some other way, please consider our Singing Befriender scheme. This might involve simply offering a friendly face when someone comes for the first time, if they feel anxious about meeting people, or if they need a bit of help to make the session more accessible. If you think that's something you could do, please give me a call on the above number and we can talk about finding a suitable role.