This year’s Festival of Music was launched at Snape, and will see the life and times of Thomas Wolsey celebrated through music and words as the school joins in with Ipswich’s commemorations of the birth of the town’s most famous son. Locally based acclaimed tenor Richard Edgar-Wilson will bring Wolsey’s story to life, alongside performances from Ipswich School’s Wolsey Consort singers and early music trio Hexachordia in the opening event of the Festival on Thursday 5 October of this event.
At the Jazz Night on Friday you’ll be treated to festival favourites, the Chris Ingham Quartet, with jazz violinist Ben Holder – the most acclaimed and exciting jazz violinist in the UK! Saturday sees a Symphony Night in Great School, when the Prometheus Orchestra will be playing some fabulous classical music side by side with young people, including Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. The Festival rounds off on Sunday with an Evensong at St Mary-le-Tower Church in Ipswich. Our Chapel Choir will take part in a joint event to commemorate Thomas Wolsey. At this closing event you can expect uplifting music and a chance to pause and reflect.
Special thanks to the primary sponsor of the festival Mr Karl Daniels and to the Old Ipswichians as a whole. Mrs Steensma, Director of Music and the Festival Director, said: “This is now our 13th year of the Festival of Music, and we are delighted to bring some firsts to the Festival this year, including a joint Evensong in the centre of Ipswich, and a wider education programme – Festival Plus – than we’ve ever had before, with events before and during the Festival weekend. We hope to see lots of Festival fans in the autumn.”
Prices are as follows:
• Opening night – special Wolsey 550 price: £15.50 – adults; £5.50 – students (no concessions)
• Jazz Night: £19 – adults; £17 – concessions; £7 – students
• Symphony Night: £19 – adults; £17 – concessions; £7 – students
• Sunday Evensong – Admission free with a retiring collection
Tickets are on sale online from today, Tuesday 9 May: www.ticketsource.co.uk/ipswich-school
