Hawkstone Farmers Choir reveal at the Royal Welsh Show that they are recording a single and album today

Calon Lan rang out around the Royal Welsh showground as thousands joined in singing with Hawkstone Farmers' Choir.

The Choir performed in the main ring on the opening day of the 2026 Royal Welsh Show, Monday, July 20.

They revealed that they are spending today (Tuesday) in a recording studio, recording an album and will soon release their very first single.

It will be 'This is Home' the song which they performed when they won Britain's Got Talent.

Two pregnant members of the choir also revealed that they have both given birth to daughters – one five days ago and one five weeks ago.

Formed by Jeremy Clarkson, the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir was originally brought together as part of an advertising campaign for his Cotswolds-based brewing business.

Since then, the choir has grown into something far greater, using its platform to raise awareness of mental health within the farming community.

The group most recently captured the hearts of the nation by winning the 2026 final of Britain’s Got Talent, becoming the first ever choir to take the title.

With numerous Welsh members including some from Mid Wales, the choir performed four songs including Welsh favourite Calon Lan, which thousands of visitors also joined in with during an electric appearance and a standout moment of the show.

The choir’s lead lady soloist, Rosie Jones, a beef and sheep farmer from Mid Wales, said: “What an honour to be invited to sing at the Royal Welsh Show 2026. This fairytale journey just keeps growing, but the greatest thing to come from it is the community we’ve built within the choir and beyond.

"In a time of hardship, uncertainty and loneliness, the choir has become a place of connection, support and understanding. If our journey inspires others or helps even one person, then we are incredibly proud of that.”

The audience at the show on Monday also watched the spectacular RAF Falcons Parachute Team land in the main ring, the Paul Hannam Quad Bike Stunt Show, the Shetland Pony Grand National, Hawkeye Falconry UK, Meirion Owen and the Quack Pack, the Regimental Band of the Royal Welsh, and a special Wales YFC display celebrating their 90th anniversary.

Elsewhere on the showground a renowned stickmaker from the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides made one final journey to the show as he competed in what he expects to be his last season on the agricultural show circuit.

Originally from Halifax in West Yorkshire, David Broadbent moved to the Isle of Harris in 1972 while working as a carpenter.

There he met his wife and after several years living on the mainland, the couple eventually returned to the family croft where she was born.

David’s stickmaking journey began in 1976 when he purchased a handcrafted stick from a local crofter for £5. Captivated by its decorative handle, he decided to try making one himself. Half a century later, ‘The Harris Stickmaker’ is recognised as one of the UK’s most respected stickmakers.

Over the years, David has earned numerous championship titles and awards at agricultural shows across the UK. His success has also brought him into contact with members of the Royal Family.

During celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the Harris Tweed Orb trademark, he presented the then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, now Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, with handcrafted walking sticks. He has also met The Princess Royal through the International Sheep Dog Trials.

David’s distinctive sticks are crafted from materials including ram’s horn, Highland cow horn and buffalo horn, combined with native woods such as hazel, blackthorn and cherry. Each piece is individually shaped and finished by hand.

David had long dreamed of competing at the Royal Welsh Show but felt the 600-mile journey from the Hebrides was simply too far. That changed when his granddaughter became engaged to a hill farmer near Oswestry, giving him a base from which to make the journey to Mid Wales and fulfil a long-held ambition by finally competing at the Royal Welsh in 2023.

Now 74 and facing deteriorating health, David has decided that 2026 will likely be his final year in competition, entering for one last time in the Royal Welsh, the Royal Highland and the Great Yorkshire, in what he describes as the top three shows in the country.

Among the several classes David entered at the show was the unique “Lady’s and Gentleman’s” class, which requires competitors to produce a matching pair of intricately crafted sticks. For the class, David created a pair from Shetland sheep horns, decorated in striking black and gold.

Speaking to the Journal David said: “Stick making is not an easy craft to take on, and the judging can be extra critical, however it’s a true passion of mine which I find incredibly satisfying. I can whittle away the hours in my shed, surrounded by vices, presses and a clutter of tools, and it brings me immense joy.

“I have loved every minute of being back at the Royal Welsh Show, its good to be with the quality stickmakers from Wales and all over the country.

“Its the meeting of the people that have organised it and the competitors. Black Isle Show will be the last show for me after 40 years.”

David won seven prizes at the Royal Welsh Show alongside local stickmaker Hywel Lewis from Beulah.

Hywel won 13 prizes in total and said stickmaking is his main hobby now he is retired, and he also tries to walk lots and go out on his motorbike. Hywel said on average making a stick with a ram's head could take about 40 to 45 hours.

A new sheep village called Cynefin was unveiled at the show.

A collaboration between the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) and the National Sheep Association (NSA), Cynefin celebrates the vital role of sheep farming in Wales.

The village brought together over 18 exhibitors including the National Sheep Association, sheep breed societies, research bodies such as the Morenden Foundation, who brought their interactive educational bus, and a wide range of organisations involved in animal health and breeding.

Designed to appeal to both farmers and the general public, Cynefin features a varied programme of educational activities, demonstrations and displays, highlighting best practice and innovation in the industry while helping visitors to better understand sheep farming and the vital role it plays in shaping Wales’ landscape and heritage.

In celebration of Brecknock as the 2026 feature county, a dedicated stand will showcase its native breeds, including the Beulah Speckled Face, Brecknock Hill Cheviot, Epynt Hardy Speckled Face and the Talybont Welsh Mountain.

At its heart, Cynefin – the Welsh word for “habitat” or “place of belonging” – captures the deep connection between land, livestock and community.

Adding to the sense of occasion, visitors were welcomed by a striking, larger-than-life handmade statue of a Welsh Mountain ram, commissioned especially for the launch.

Cynefin was officially opened by two stalwarts of the Welsh sheep industry; Mr Alun Evans CBE FRAgS and Mrs Margaret Dalton OBE FRAgS.