Dairy farmer turns to singing after bovine TB silence

When bovine TB wiped out his entire herd, dairy farmer Mervyn Kelso was left facing the profound sadness of empty fields and a silent milking yard. For a man who had dedicated his entire life to agriculture, watching his neighbors tend to their cows while dealing with his own empty farm proved to be a deeply traumatic experience.

The devastating losses began in November 2021 when his first batch of cows was culled, coinciding closely with the death of a lifelong family friend who had spent decades around the County Antrim farm. Shortly afterward, another 120 cows had to be removed, followed by an additional 40 cows just two months later. By March 2022, after the Department decided to buy out the remaining stock, the farm was completely empty of adult and milking cattle.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Amid the isolation and the modern challenges of farm work where labor is increasingly difficult to secure, Mervyn and his wife Ruth, living near Portglenone, relied heavily on their faith for the resilience to carry on. Having previously sung in his local church, Mervyn decided to join the Farmers' Choir when it restarted in nearby Ballymena in the autumn of 2022, finding it to be a welcome and rewarding relief from daily agricultural pressures.

Barkley Thompson, the musical director of the choir who grew up on a dairy farm himself, noted that the group helps fill the social void left by increased agricultural automation and labor shortages. The choir's profile soared when nine of its members, including Mervyn and Ruth, were selected to perform at the King's Coronation concert, where they met the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

"Farming is one very lonely job, even more lonely than it was a generation ago, because labour is so difficult to get,"

Mervyn Kelso

During the royal event, Mervyn also had the chance to meet his idol, Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, whose father was a sheep farmer. As the only choir from Northern Ireland and the sole rural ensemble nominated for the Making Music UK volunteer group of the year award, the group has seen its membership expand significantly following the high-profile performance.

Having largely handed over the reins of the farm to his two sons, Mervyn now steps in only to assist when needed. The family began rebuilding their livestock in the summer of 2022, welcoming the arrival of replacement heifers from Denmark later that year as they successfully brought life back to the farm.

Source: BBC Science & Environment