Hawkstone Farmers Choir make major move after golden buzzer

Originally founded by Jeremy Clarkson in the Cotswolds to advertise his alcohol brand, the group is a collective of real British farmers.

The choir appeared on Britain’s Got Talent over the weekend (Saturday, March 21), and secured a golden buzzer from Amanda Holden during their audition.

This rare honour, which sends the 32-strong collective straight through to the live semi-finals, was given following a performance of the Elbow anthem “One Day Like This” at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

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The Hawstone Farmers Choir on Britain’s Got Talent. (Image: Pembrokeshire Sunflower Farm)

Mr Clarkson was left visibly emotional by the performance as he took to the social media site Instagram to share a raw clip with his instant reaction.

“I watched Britain’s Got Talent tonight for the first time because the Hawkstone Choir were on and they were just fantastic,” he said, appearing to be close to tears.

“These guys are all farmers, and they work incredibly hard for really incredibly small rewards, and to see them all on that stage with all that love in the room made my heart sing. I actually welled up.

“It shows that people quite like farmers. They were very, very good, well done, all of you. I’m a very happy man tonight.”

Now, in a move to build powerful momentum ahead of Mental Health Awareness Month this May, the BGT fame is being channelled into direct action for the farming community.

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The Hawkstone Farmers Choir. (Image: Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir)

Hawkstone has today (Thursday, March 26) announced the release of a limited-edition vinyl record, with 100 per cent of profits being donated to the mental health charity, Shout.

This release is timed to rally support and amplify the conversation around mental well-being in farming communities across the UK, ensuring the topic is at the forefront of the national consciousness leading into May.

The limited-edition vinyl includes ‘F**k Me It’s Good’, ‘It’s The Dog’s Nuts’, ‘Apples’, and ‘The Stout National Anthem’.

Sarah Kendrick, Clinical Director of Shout, said: “The Hawkstone Farmers Choir has given an incredible voice to the mental health challenges faced by so many in the agricultural community.

“We are immensely grateful to be the charity partner for this project. The funds raised from this vinyl will be vital, enabling us to train more volunteers and be there for anyone in the farming community who is struggling to cope. It will save lives.”

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The choir on the ITV talent show. (Image: TOM DYMOND)

Recent statistics show that 95 per cent of farmers under 40 identify poor mental health as a significant issue in the industry.

Hawkstone’s partnership with Shout provides a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service.

By texting the word ‘HAWKSTONE’ to 85258, farmers in need can have a conversation with a trained volunteer at any time of day or night.

The limited-edition vinyl is available for pre-order now, exclusively from the Hawkstone website