Will Young and James Morrison to co-headline Dalby Forest next June but who goes on stage first?

“We love the work Forestry England does, so we’re glad to be back again ,” says Will Young of next summer’s co-headliner with James Morrison at Dalby Forest

WILL Young and James Morrison will co-headline a Forest Live concert at Dalby Forest, near Pickering, on June 27 as one of six fund-raising concerts for Forestry England next summer.

Tickets for the two BRIT award winners go on sale at £49.50 plus booking fee at 9am on Friday, November 22 on 03000 680400 or at forestryengland.uk/music.

Young, 40, won the inaugural series of Pop Idol in 2002, since when he has notched up seven top five albums, four reaching number one, as well as four chart-topping singles, his debut, Anything Is Possible/Evergreen, Light My Fire, The Long And Winding Road with Pop Idol rival Gareth Gates and Leave Right Now.

Jealousy was his last top five single success in 2011 and he released his latest album, Lexicon, in June after a four-year hiatus.

Young branched out into film and musicals, starring on screen alongside Dame Judi Dench in Mrs Henderson Presents in 2005 and appearing as Emcee in Cabaret at Leeds Grand Theatre in October 2017.

Morrison, 35, first made his mark with his million-selling, chart-topping debut album, Undiscovered, in 2006 and has had top ten hits with You Give Me Something, Wonderful World, You Make It Real, Broken Strings with Nelly Furtado and I Won’t Let You Go, like Young, his last top five entry in 2011.

” I think our sets will complement each other in a special way,” says James Morrison

This year’s album, You’re Stronger Than You Know, was preceded by Higher Than Here in 2015, the number one success The Awakening in 2011 and Songs For You, Truths For Me in 2008.

Young, who performed at York Barbican last month, played previously at Dalby Forest in 2012; Morrison likewise in 2007. Next summer, they will present individual sets, but who will “co-headline” first? Wait and see in sets that will combine greatest hits with selections from this year’s albums.

Young says: “Both James and I have fond memories of appearing as part of Forest Live as solo artists in the past. We love the work Forestry England does, so we’re glad to be back again in what promises to be a fantastic double-header of a show.”

Morrison adds: “For the last 20 years, Will has been at the forefront of British popular culture. That’s a massive achievement. I think our sets will complement each other in a special way and I’m really looking forward to our shows together. It’ll be a great night out.”

Forest Live’s series of concerts is held each summer by Forestry England at Dalby Forest; Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire; Bedgebury Pinetum, Tunbridge Wells, Kent; Thetford Forest, Brandon, Suffolk; Cannock Chase Forest, Rugeley, Staffordshire, and Sherwood Pines Forest, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

Among past performers at Dalby Forest are Paul Weller four times; Blondie; Bryan Ferry; Simple Minds; Pulp; Status Quo twice; UB40; Simply Red; McFly; George Ezra; Tom Odell; Elbow; Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott twice; Madness; M People; Paloma Faith twice; Guy Garvey; Kaiser Chiefs; Embrace; Keane; Erasure; James Blunt; Rick Astley; John Newman; Plan B; Travis and The Zutons.

Funds raised from ticket sales go to forest sustainability for people to enjoy, wildlife to flourish and trees to grow.

Charles Hutchinson