Farmer Who Lost 200 Cows Finds Hope in Song

When Mervyn Kelso's 200 cows were removed from his County Antrim farm due to bovine TB, the silence was deafening. For a man who had farmed his whole life, the empty fields and quiet milking yard brought overwhelming sadness.

By March 2022, the Northern Ireland dairy farmer had lost everything he'd spent decades building. His sister suggested he join the local Farmers' Choir, and he decided to give it a try.

That simple decision changed everything. Four years later, Mervyn has sung at the King's Coronation concert, met Welsh opera star Bryn Terfel, and his choir is nominated for a national award.

"The choir was a great lifter when the fields fell silent," said Mervyn, who farms near Portglenone with his wife Ruth. She joined the choir too, finding friendship and relief during their darkest time.

Musical director Barkley Thompson, who grew up on a dairy farm himself, said the choir fills a crucial gap in rural life. Modern farming has become increasingly automated and isolating, leaving many farmers working alone with dangerous equipment and mounting stress.

"Social isolation and loneliness are real problems in rural communities, but people don't always like to talk about that," Barkley said. "The choir is important because it's not just about the singing—it's about the friendship."

Sunny's Take

Nine choir members, including Mervyn and Ruth, sang at the King's Coronation concert and met the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. When Mervyn spotted his hero Bryn Terfel, whose father was a sheep farmer, the opera star stopped to chat after seeing their Farmers' Choir vests.

"He thought we were worth chatting to because we were farmers," Mervyn recalled with pride.

The coronation appearance sparked a membership boom. Farmers arrive at practice with stress written on their faces and leave feeling happier and upbeat, Barkley said.

The choir is the only one from Northern Ireland and the only rural choir nominated for the Making Music UK volunteer group of the year award.

Meanwhile, Mervyn and his sons began rebuilding the herd in summer 2022, starting from zero. He's now largely handed the farm to one of his two sons, giving himself more time to sing.

"You always come out of that singing feeling far better than you went into it," he said. "And that's the key to living, isn't it?"