Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper celebrated the Hawkstone Farmers Choir's remarkable journey at the British Farming Awards in Birmingham on the 15th October.
This is a summary of the introduction Jeremy and Kaleb made:
It has been quite a journey for the Hawkstone Farmers Choir.
Just 18 months after a group of farmers first came together at Jeremy Clarkson's Farmer's Dog pub to sing a few sweary, silly songs, the choir is continuing to make its mark – from winning Britain's Got Talent to preparing for the Royal Variety Performance.
The latest milestone came on 15 October, when Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper took to the stage at the British Farming Awards at Birmingham's Vox Arena to celebrate the choir and announce them as winners of the award for Flying the Flag for British Agriculture.
Jeremy reflected on just how far the choir had come in such a short space of time, and how remarkable it was that a group of 41 farmers had stayed together and built something so special.
He also highlighted the importance of the choir being a proper, large musical group at a time when the music industry increasingly favours solo performers. With a new single on the way, he encouraged everyone in the room to get behind the choir and help put them in the charts.
But there is more to the Hawkstone Farmers Choir than singing. Jeremy also praised the work the choir is doing to raise awareness of mental health in farming, a subject that has become increasingly close to his heart and one that the choir is determined to help bring into the open.
The evening was typically entertaining, with Jeremy and Kaleb exchanging a few words about farm life before leaving the stage – including a reminder from Jeremy that he had remembered to close the farm gate before leaving, and a gentle dig at Kaleb's spraying in a stiff breeze!
For the choir, the recognition was another memorable moment in an extraordinary 18 months. What began as an unlikely gathering of farmers with a shared love of singing has become a much bigger story: bringing people together, celebrating farming and using music to help make a difference.
And with the Royal Variety Performance, a UK tour and new music ahead, there is plenty more to come.
Listen to the Podcast hosted by Farmers Guardian about the awards.