Even though I can’t sing to save my life, Barkley Thompson seems confident that he could still find a role for me in his latest musical project.
“It doesn’t matter how good you are, there’s always a role. Everybody has a singing ability,” he tells me reassuringly.
Barkley is musical director of the Farmers’ Choir Northern Ireland (NI), a group of singers with farming and rural backgrounds from around the Ballymena area of Co Antrim.
He appears to be an excellent fit for the role, being a music teacher by trade and a farmers’ son by birthright.
“My brother jokes that I carried a violin and bow when I helped move cattle when we were younger. I was always musical. It was the path I always wanted to follow,” says Barkley.
Barkley Thompson is from Randalstown, Co Antrim. \ Houston Green
The Farmers’ Choir NI was originally started by the Northern Health Trust with the aim of addressing isolation and loneliness in rural areas.
Barkley took over managing the project in May 2022, having initially agreed to come on board for a 12-month period.
“I really loved working with people from farming and rural backgrounds. It soon became obvious to me that the members were really getting something from it,” he says.
The choir has evolved and
expanded over the past two years. There are 45 members in the group at present and more newcomers are set to join in the autumn.They sing everything from Elvis to Irish folk songs.
Worthwhile venture
A big turning point for the choir was in May 2023, when the group was chosen as one of 18 choirs from across the UK to sing at a coronation concert at Windsor Castle in London.
Since then, the Farmers’ Choir NI has featured on BBC Radio Ulster and UTV. In February 2024, the choir became a registered charity and local MP Robin Swann is the president.
The group has performed to audiences across Northern Ireland and the most recent concert was in late July when they sang to a sell-out crowd at Parliament Buildings in Stormont.
“My whole life has been in the music industry. I have done lots of different things, but there is something about this choir that really tugs at my heart,” Barkley said.
“The members themselves maybe don’t see it, but when I am leading them, I see the joy on their faces and that makes it all worthwhile,” he says, with a smile.
The Farmer's Choir NI with musical director Barkley Thompson pictured performing at a concert in Stormont.
Like any group of individuals, each member of the Farmers’ Choir has their own back story and some have had their own troubles in life.
“We have people who have had farm accidents and been on life
support. We have people who had bereavements. We have members who had bad outbreaks of TB on their farms,” Barkley explains.
All that considered, it is understandable that the choir has become an important outlet for its members.
It is a social activity where friendships are made and it allows members to focus on something completely different from day-to-day life, whilst building confidence and focusing on their well-being in the process.
“Some members openly admit that joining the choir has been the making of them.
“I find once you get someone over the door for the first time, that’s the hardest part because after that, they’re hooked,” he says.
The choir covers a wide range of musical genres, from pop music to Irish folk. The idea is to make the group as inclusive as possible, so people from all backgrounds feel comfortable to join.
Getting up to the standard to perform sell-out concerts takes a lot of work and farmers are busy people, so how do the members of the choir find the time to rehearse?
“It amazes me that if I put on an extra rehearsal, they will always be there, they seem to make the time. We usually meet fortnightly from the autumn through to the spring, although it can be more often if we have a concert coming up,” Barkley responds.
The Randalstown man and I are in strong agreement that farmers should regularly do something unrelated to farming, whether it be kicking a football or training in a gym.
However, Barkley argues that the arts are often overlooked as a recreational activity, especially among men. He points out that, unlike playing sports, your ability to sing or play music doesn’t change as you get older.
Future plans
Looking to the future, the hope is to expand the project further, both in terms of the geographical area and the age of participants.
The Farmer's Choir NI with musical director Barkley Thompson pictured at Stormont before a recent concert.
“I would like to see a day where we have different rehearsal spaces in different areas, so people don’t have to travel the whole way to Ballymena.
"We could have different branches then we would bring everybody together for big events,” Barkley says.
The other aim is to get younger people involved, as many of the choir members at present tend to be from an older demographic.
“It would be brilliant if we could reach out and bring the work that we do to a wider community. There is a need all over for that,” he says.
When we conclude our interview and part ways, I get in my car to drive home. The radio plays Whole of the Moon by the Waterboys.
I sing along and start to doubt Barkley’s claim that he could find a role for me in the choir.
Even though I can’t sing to save my life, Barkley Thompson seems confident that he could still find a role for me in his latest musical project.
“It doesn’t matter how good you are, there’s always a role. Everybody has a singing ability,” he tells me reassuringly.
Barkley is musical director of the Farmers’ Choir Northern Ireland (NI), a group of singers with farming and rural backgrounds from around the Ballymena area of Co Antrim.
He appears to be an excellent fit for the role, being a music teacher by trade and a farmers’ son by birthright.
“My brother jokes that I carried a violin and bow when I helped move cattle when we were younger. I was always musical. It was the path I always wanted to follow,” says Barkley.
Barkley Thompson is from Randalstown, Co Antrim. \ Houston Green
The Farmers’ Choir NI was originally started by the Northern Health Trust with the aim of addressing isolation and loneliness in rural areas.
Barkley took over managing the project in May 2022, having initially agreed to come on board for a 12-month period.
“I really loved working with people from farming and rural backgrounds. It soon became obvious to me that the members were really getting something from it,” he says.
The choir has evolved and
expanded over the past two years. There are 45 members in the group at present and more newcomers are set to join in the autumn.They sing everything from Elvis to Irish folk songs.
Worthwhile venture
A big turning point for the choir was in May 2023, when the group was chosen as one of 18 choirs from across the UK to sing at a coronation concert at Windsor Castle in London.
Since then, the Farmers’ Choir NI has featured on BBC Radio Ulster and UTV. In February 2024, the choir became a registered charity and local MP Robin Swann is the president.
The group has performed to audiences across Northern Ireland and the most recent concert was in late July when they sang to a sell-out crowd at Parliament Buildings in Stormont.
“My whole life has been in the music industry. I have done lots of different things, but there is something about this choir that really tugs at my heart,” Barkley said.
“The members themselves maybe don’t see it, but when I am leading them, I see the joy on their faces and that makes it all worthwhile,” he says, with a smile.
The Farmer's Choir NI with musical director Barkley Thompson pictured performing at a concert in Stormont.
Like any group of individuals, each member of the Farmers’ Choir has their own back story and some have had their own troubles in life.
“We have people who have had farm accidents and been on life
support. We have people who had bereavements. We have members who had bad outbreaks of TB on their farms,” Barkley explains.
All that considered, it is understandable that the choir has become an important outlet for its members.
It is a social activity where friendships are made and it allows members to focus on something completely different from day-to-day life, whilst building confidence and focusing on their well-being in the process.
“Some members openly admit that joining the choir has been the making of them.
“I find once you get someone over the door for the first time, that’s the hardest part because after that, they’re hooked,” he says.
The choir covers a wide range of musical genres, from pop music to Irish folk. The idea is to make the group as inclusive as possible, so people from all backgrounds feel comfortable to join.
Getting up to the standard to perform sell-out concerts takes a lot of work and farmers are busy people, so how do the members of the choir find the time to rehearse?
“It amazes me that if I put on an extra rehearsal, they will always be there, they seem to make the time. We usually meet fortnightly from the autumn through to the spring, although it can be more often if we have a concert coming up,” Barkley responds.
The Randalstown man and I are in strong agreement that farmers should regularly do something unrelated to farming, whether it be kicking a football or training in a gym.
However, Barkley argues that the arts are often overlooked as a recreational activity, especially among men. He points out that, unlike playing sports, your ability to sing or play music doesn’t change as you get older.
Future plans
Looking to the future, the hope is to expand the project further, both in terms of the geographical area and the age of participants.
The Farmer's Choir NI with musical director Barkley Thompson pictured at Stormont before a recent concert.
“I would like to see a day where we have different rehearsal spaces in different areas, so people don’t have to travel the whole way to Ballymena.
"We could have different branches then we would bring everybody together for big events,” Barkley says.
The other aim is to get younger people involved, as many of the choir members at present tend to be from an older demographic.
“It would be brilliant if we could reach out and bring the work that we do to a wider community. There is a need all over for that,” he says.
When we conclude our interview and part ways, I get in my car to drive home. The radio plays Whole of the Moon by the Waterboys.
I sing along and start to doubt Barkley’s claim that he could find a role for me in the choir.
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