Tim Robinson recorded his audition for the Hawkstone Farmers' Choir in the cowshed
Farming and singing might seem unlikely bedfellows, but for Peak District based Tim Robinson, joining Jeremy Clarkson's Hawkstone Farmers' Choir has opened the door to an extraordinary new experience — proving that sometimes the best opportunities come when you simply take a chance.
Farm life rarely follows a convenient schedule. Seasonal workloads, long days and the constant demands of keeping a farming business running leave little room for outside interests. Yet for Tim, a decision made almost on a whim has led to an unexpected adventure: becoming a member of Jeremy Clarkson's Hawkstone Farmers' Choir.
New album out soon
His new-found role is a world away from the tractor cab or the fields where he also works as a conservationist. In the space of just 12 months, Tim has found himself not only on TV, but also in a professional recording studio - owned by multi-awardwinning artist Peter Gabriel - working on an album and looking ahead to the prospect of touring with a group of fellow farmers.
And it all began with a simple decision to give something new a go.
Read about Jeremy Clarkson's next big project
"I saw the post on Facebook for singers who had a farming background. I fully expected not to hear anything back," Tim admits, reflecting on his initial leap into the unknown. In the end, however, he decided he may as well give it a go.
"I just had my phone with me. I was in the cow shed the next morning and thought, ‘Oh, just do it.' I had 101 reasons I could have used to talk myself out of it but I thought, ‘Go for it'."
Opportunity of a lifetime
That moment of spontaneity proved to be the starting point for an experience he might otherwise have missed altogether.
From the initial get together to record Jeremy Clarkson's tongue-in-cheek Hawkstone lager ad, things then moved very quickly as it was agreed the newly-formed group would audition for ITV1 Saturday Night primetime show Britain's Got Talent.
"It was exciting but we were all clear we didn't want to be the novelty act," Tim says. "But once we started rehearsing we knew it sounded good and then when we got the Golden Buzzer, that was just astonishing. A few of us did not know what had happened. People were just shouting and even crying."
The choir, as we now know, went on to win the whole series performing an original song in the final, This is Home.
"We were very confident in the song because of its powerful message. It really meant something to us and I am so pleased people understood."
With the choir's first single, Absolution, released on October 9, Tim says he is still coming to terms with how successful the group has been.
"We all hoped we would continue after Britain's Got Talent, but the album and the tour next year is well, something none of us expected."
Relive the moment the choir was crowned winners of Britain's Got Talent
But with an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance coming up (after the BFAs of course) are the farmers still managing to contain their showbiz success?
"Oh yes," he laughs. "We are all very grounded - it is not about 40 people asking for stuff for their riders. We are not quite at that stage yet," he laughs. "Farming and whether they can get people to cover milking or something while they are away is still the main topic of conversation."
