Rhythm and blues star Jools Holland, classical singer Katherine Jenkins, rock outfit Status Quo and 1980s Australian band Crowded House have signed up to support the UK’s woodlands as part of the Forestry Commission’s Forest Tour 2008.
The acts will perform a series of concerts and gigs around the UK in forest settings during the summer, including Thetford Forest, Bedgebury Pinetum & Forest and the National Arboretum in Gloucestershire.
McFly, Elbow, KT Tunstall, The Zutons and The Charlatans are also set to appear.
The Forestry Commission said the concerts would help generate valuable money to support the development and protection of woodlands, while also introducing a new group of people to the UK’s forests.
“The best way of getting people to engage in the importance of woodlands, and to teach them about respecting their environment, is not to preach at them, but to ensure they value and feel for the environment around them,” said Mike Taylor, concerts programme manager at the Forestry Commission.
“What better way to do this than through quality live music in a beautiful woodland setting.”
The Zutons will play the opening concert of Forest Tour 2008, at High Lodge in Thetford Forest, Suffolk on June 5.
More information is available from www.forestry.gov.uk/music.
