Huddersfield teenage songwriter Mason Whittle has co-written a Christmas song which he’ll perform at one of Kirklees’ premier venues.
The 17-year-old from Linthwaite is now studying an extended Level 3 National Diploma in Music Performance at Leeds City College and on his first day met 19-year-old Lucy Cowling who is on the same course.
The two have started songwriting together and are also in a funk, soul and jazz band called The Boogiemen.
But they have penned a festive song called Christmas Time At The Office which they’ll be performing at Dewsbury Town Hall as part of the Kirklees Year of Music.
Musicians had the opportunity to pitch for a place at the concert with Mason and Lucy one of the acts selected for the event called Songs For The Season – A Winter Songbook For Kirklees on Tuesday, December 12 at 7.30pm.
The Boogiemen will be playing at The Fourth Fiend Taphouse in Meltham on Friday, December 22, and do covers of greats such as James Brown, Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.
Mason didn’t start playing the guitar until he was 13 but quickly became a familiar sight busking in the Colne Valley, was given his first performing break at the Northern Sole café in Slaithwaite and has never looked back. He’s released several of his self-penned songs on Spotify.
Lucy, 19, of Idle in Bradford, revealed she used to be in a band named after the Michael Scott comedy character in the US version of The Office which led her and Mason to coming up with the office theme for Christmas, although it’s actually a sad love story.
Lucy, who sings and also plays guitar and piano, is now working on a concept album based on the atmosphere, synths and soundscapes. She grew up in musical theatre and aims to compose film and gaming soundtracks in the future.
She said: “Mason and I work well together musically. He’ll start playing guitar and then I’ll improvise with singing and we’ve written our first song for The Boogiemen.”
Others involved in Songs For The Season – A Winter Songbook For Kirklees are:
Andy Burton performing Stars Of Peace In Wintertime
Alexandra Carlos Music and Simon Walker Music – All I Know
Nicholas Greensmith – Winter Robin
Samh – Mother’s Bones
Dorian Kelly – In Kirklees We’ll Remain
Morel O’Sullivan – It Takes A Town
Service users and staff at Enfield Down and Creative Minds at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust– In Wintertime In Kirklees
To book tickets go to https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/town-halls/book-tickets.aspx and scroll down December’s concerts to December 12.
Mason’s upcoming public gigs in Huddersfield are:
Saturday, December 2 at 8pm – Ten Fourteen bar in Holmfirth;
Saturday, December 9 at 7.30pm – The New Inn, Marsden;
Friday, December 15 at 7.30pm – Little Bridge in Slaithwaite;
Saturday, December 16 at 7.30pm – The Farmers Arms in Holmfirth;
Saturday, December 23 at 7.30pm – Northern Sole in Slaithwaite;
Boxing Day, December 26 – Berry Brow Liberal Club at 9.15pm;
New Year’s Eve, 8pm – The Farmers Arms in Holmfirth.
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.
