Farming in the spotlight as Hawkstone choir heads to BGT semis

Farmer-based singing sensation the Hawkstone Farmers Choir is set to return to the nation’s TV screens this weekend (Saturday 23 May), as the live semi-finals of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent continue.

The choir first hit the headlines after their golden-buzzer moment, following their performance of Elbow’s “One Day Like This” on the show in March.

Show judge Amanda Holden was clearly impressed by their musical prowess, as well as their honest reflections on the realities of rural life. But how did it all begin?

See also: Farmers’ choir lands golden buzzer on Britain’s Got Talent

Social media advert

The choir first came together in response to an advert on social media.

Buckinghamshire beef and arable farmer Richard Heady was among those who responded to a Facebook post seeking “farmers who could sing”.

With little information about the opportunity, he recorded a quick audition video and sent it off.

Weeks later, he discovered he had been selected to take part in a promotional shoot for Hawkstone Beer at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog.

What began as a one-off project has since evolved into the Hawkstone Farmers Choir, culminating in that highly acclaimed performance on Britain’s Got Talent.

Richard farms south of Milton Keynes in Northamptonshire alongside his father and uncle, growing cereals and finishing cattle on home-grown feed.

“I knew I could sing, but it’s not something I’d done since school, other than in the tractor cab or carols around the war memorial,” he says.

Balancing rehearsals with farmwork has required careful planning.

“You always have to work twice as hard in the week before you’re doing something, and perhaps again the week after, just to try and catch up,” he says.

Pressures

Other members of the choir face similar pressures.

Cotswolds sheep and arable farmer Chris Slatter, who has been involved in music most of his life, playing trumpet in local bands, says support from family and staff has been essential.

“You just sort of hope it’s all going to go all right and you’re going to be able to get the time off,” he says.

But behind the performance lies a deeper purpose, with many members highlighting the choir’s role in supporting mental wellbeing.

Choir director Lizzie Deane, who does not come from a farming background, says the experience has changed her understanding of the industry.

“You just get used to being fed and it just being there for you, and you don’t really understand how hard it is for farmers,” she says.

She adds that, for some, the choir has provided vital support.

“It’s been a bit of a lifesaver for a lot of them actually, because they’ve been really, really struggling.”

Richard describes the uplift he got from the golden-buzzer moment.

“When it went off and you saw the tears, that was kind of the pent-up emotion from probably years and years of just working really hard in isolation.”

Community support

For Buckinghamshire sheep farmer Chrystia “Tinks” Barber, who runs a mixed enterprise at Notley Farm, the choir has created a sense of belonging.

“We’ve all struggled with our own mental health in some way, or we’ve known people who have,” she says.

Tinks, who has always loved singing, came into the group following a nudge from her husband.

“He sent me a little snippet from a Facebook group and said ‘Well, you certainly have some lungs on you, do you want to have a go?’

“And here we are. It just felt we were really singing for a purpose and a cause – it’s bringing us all together.”

Choir members also say audience support has been striking.

Chris describes the atmosphere at the Birmingham Hippodrome, which held around 2,000 people on the night of the original audition, as “electric”, adding that “the whole crowd were with us from the get-go”.

For many involved, the project represents a rare opportunity to present a different side of farming to the public.

“Generally, farmers are in the press for struggling with inheritance tax or livestock worrying, and it’s always a negative news story,” says Richard.

“Hopefully this is something positive.”

Future prospects

Looking ahead to the competition’s next stages – the semi-final and hopefully the final – the choir hopes to use its platform to further support rural communities.

“If we could win this competition, we could raise a hell of a lot of money for rural mental health charities,” says Richard.

Despite the pressures of lambing, spraying and daily farm work, members say they are committed to continue singing.

“We all know we’ve got each other on stage,” says Tinks.

“I think that’s how you manage nerves – knowing that you are not alone.”

Chris adds: “I’ve never felt anything like the emotion and the love that was in the Hippodrome and hope it’s the same feeling in the semi-finals.

“I’m looking forward to it, but there is a bit of pressure now.”

For this group of farmers, the journey from a simple online advert to a national stage has become about far more than music — offering connection, support and a shared voice for the wider rural community.

The fifth and final live semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent is due to air on ITV1 and ITVX at 7pm on Saturday 23 May.