Derek and Hazel Sarjeant sang together for 35 years during which time they built up a vast repertoire of varied songs and tunes. Both Derek and Hazel were well established as performers before joining forces.

Derek started playing the trumpet at the age of 15 and gained experience with various jazz bands in Kent. He formed the Golden Gate Jazzmen and played for 2 years but eventually took up the guitar and started singing and playing in a skiffle group. Derek, a pioneer of the Folk Revival started Kent 's first folk club in Chatham in 1956.

In 1961 he moved to Surrey and alongside Gerry Lockran, Jack Parkinson, Mick Wells and Arthur Johnson formed the Surbiton and Kingston Folk club which became one of Britain's largest folksong clubs running weekly for 16 years. Major folk singing legends from the USA and Britain and Ireland appeared at the club, Derek's extensive collection of weekly broadsheets, photos and private recordings document this period.

In 1961 Derek received national newspaper notoriety by singing with guitar accompaniment a proposal at a NALGO Trade Union conference at Blackpool. His first album was released in 1962 for which he received the Melody Maker's Folk Medal of the Year. 'Recognition for the clarity and warmth of voice and sympathetic guitar'.

His singing of 'The Sweet Nightingale' prompted a London agency to book him to record a series of television adverts. Shortly after, his voice became familiar to millions of TV viewers and Radio Luxembourg listeners.

Derek sung the ditties assisted by Deryck Guyler announcing and Ike Isaacs's guitar. In 1962 Derek was amongst the first English folksingers to be booked at clubs in Ireland and he performed at the Fleidh in Kilrush. In 1965 he helped organise and performed at the English Folk Dance and Song Society's First National Folksong Festival.

Extensive touring throughout the British Isles followed mostly singing solo but sometimes accompanied by jazz guitarist friend Diz Disley. In 1968 Derek had returned from a successful sponsored 'British Week' tour in Sweden and Diz Disley introduced him to Hazel King an art student and folksinger. They joined together and with Graham Bradshaw they formed The Derek Sarjeant Folk Trio'. Hazel was interested in performing and visual arts from an early age training in various church choirs (she held membership of the Royal College of Church Music) in which she excelled as a soloist. Hazel earned many certificates and accolades for her singing but shunned an opportunity to study opera in America. Instead she concentrated her interest in folk music. At the age of 18 she won the final of the 1967 Folk and Beat Contest' held at Hammersmith Town Hall, London. Hazel's beautiful acclaimed voice led to much high profile work. Alongside her musical commitments she maintained a prolific output of artwork, including oil paintings and wonderful decorated pottery, much admired for its quality and originality. She attended both St. Martins College of Art and the Wimbledon College of Art and earned a B.A. in Fine Arts. In tandem with her musical career she found time to teach art part-time and work as a commercial artist creating illustrations for magazines.

The Derek Sarjeant Folk Trio (1968-1970) performed at clubs and concert halls around the country. Derek and Hazel shared the singing, and Derek played guitar, concertina or trumpet. Hazel played guitar and whistle and Graham Bradshaw played guitar, mandolin and accordion. With their strong voices and harmonies and varied instrumentation they produced a full and distinctive sound. They made one album before Graham moved to Coventry where he set up a successful recording company.

Derek and Hazel continued to perform as a duo, first as Derek Sarjeant and Hazel King and later as Derek and Hazel Sarjeant. They ran their folk club and worked abroad in Belgium , Holland , Spain , Italy and Germany where they found their versatility was much in demand. Their programme included mostly traditional English and Scottish folksongs, some unaccompanied. They also performed contemporary songs and blues, featuring Hazel's powerful voice and guitar and Derek on trumpet, which were particularly popular. Hazel's interpretations of the big ballads such as 'The Dowie Dens of Yarrow' and 'Willie of Winesbury' were much acclaimed. In 1977 they were married and continued touring Britain and Europe , in particular Germany where the music scene in the 70's and 80's was thriving. During this period, besides producing a son and daughter (Derek had 2 sons from a previous marriage) they performed regularly at European festivals, colleges and clubs establishing a large following. They made radio and T.V appearances which included BBC Radio series Folkweave, Folk On Friday and Country Meets Folk and BBC TV series Folkscene as well as recording some film music for America. In 1986 they moved to Dorset and, after a short pause in their career bringing up their two children, they did a successful tour in New England , America in the early 90's and resulted in a reunion with old American folksinging friends Carolyn Hester and Rick Norcross (who organised the tour).

They continued to perform and present folk music around their area as well as making foreign tours. Tragically, after a brave fight against a rare form of cancer, Hazel died on August 12th 2003.

Derek and Hazel made 12 albums together. The recordings of Hazel's magnificent, pure voice, remain as a testimony to her respect for, and straightforward approach to the music she loved.