WHEELS of maturing cheese formed an unlikely backdrop for an ensemble of professional singers celebrating a day of music.

Ford Farm cheesemakers in West Dorset became part of the revelries for BBC Music Day this month.

The BBC singers, a world class ensemble formed of 24 professional singers, descended on the cheesemakers to broadcast songs.

BBC Music Day is an event featuring more than 300 acts across the UK aimed at connecting people through music.

It is now only in its second year, but the event on Friday June 3 was much larger than 2015’s day.

One of the regions spotlighted this year was West Dorset and Ford Farm hosted the singers at the Dorset Dairy located in Litton Cheney, a countryside spot overlooking the World Heritage Jurassic Coast.

As part of the celebrations, the BBC Singers sung a medley from the Ford Farm cheese stores which were broadcast live on Radio 3 via satellite.

Mike Pullin, director at the cheesemakers, said: “We were thrilled that the BBC Singers chose to head to rural Dorset to broadcast live from the farm.

“The performance was an audible feast, performed in front of a back drop of our traditional hand-made cheddars.”

The cheesemakers earned two accolades in 2012 – reserve supreme champion at the International Cheese Awards in Nantwich and gold at the Great Taste Awards. They have also been honoured at the World Cheese Awards.

A sheep’s milk cheese the farm had produced and submitted to judges at the World Cheese Awards last December before they had even named it was awarded gold, one of seven medals they won at the ceremony.