Ipswich School pupils were centre stage as part of the launch event for a special anniversary which will be celebrated in the town over the next year. The Wolsey Consort – singers from Years 10 to 13 – performed If Ye Love Me by Thomas Tallis at the launch of the Wolsey 550 campaign, which celebrates 550 years since the birth of Thomas Wolsey. Their performance was warmly received by the audience, who were members of the local community involved in the project, and local media.

As well as the Wolsey Consort, the event saw the launch of a film about Wolsey and Ipswich, called Tracing the Footprint. Using the latest augmented reality (AR) technology and research from Suffolk Archives and Christ Church Oxford University, ‘Tracing The Footprint’ provides a glimpse into how Wolsey’s vision could have looked in the context of contemporary Ipswich. The film was produced by Urban XR, and can be watched on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZPTUso0Z_Zo

Wolsey – arguably the most famous son of Ipswich – was the son of a butcher, and rose to prominence in the court of King Henry VIII as Cardinal and Lord Chancellor. He founded the Cardinal’s College in Ipswich – one of the many guises of Ipswich School – which he intended to be a feeder to Cardinal College, Oxford. March 2023 was chosen as the most likely date of the 550th anniversary of Wolsey’s birth.

Over the next 550 days, events, performances and other wide-ranging activities will take place to celebrate the life and achievements of Wolsey, particularly focusing on his relevance to today’s society. The project also hopes to create a major visitor attraction in the area which includes Wolsey’s Gate, the chapel of his college (St. Peter’s Church), the historic port and other ancient buildings. Ipswich School will be playing a big part in the Wolsey 550 events, along with other businesses and organisations in the town. Plans include a Wolsey themed day to open the Festival of Music in October and an essay writing competition for young people.