Festival of Music 2023

Thursday 5 October to Sunday 8 October

The Ipswich School Festival of Music is an annual event which brings professional musicians from a diverse range of musical genres to the Great School Concert Hall, performing in concerts for the public and for local school children. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday 9 May for this autumn’s concerts.


Celebrating Thomas Wolsey in Music

Thursday 5 October at 7.30pm
Venue:  Ipswich School Great School, Ivry Street, IP1 3SG
Tickets: £15.50 (adults and concessions). £5.50 (students)

As Ipswich marks the 550th anniversary of Thomas Wolsey’s birth, we open the 2023 Festival with a special evening of music and words which celebrate the life and times of Wolsey, arguably Ipswich’s most famous son.

Acclaimed tenor Richard Edgar-Wilson will bring Wolsey’s story to life, there will be performances by Ipswich School’s Wolsey Consort singers, and by early music trio Hexachordia. All for a special 550 concert price!

A ‘Thomas Wolsey 550’ event – 550 days of celebrating Ipswich’s most famous son


Jazz Night: Ben Holder and the Chris Ingham Quartet

Friday 6 October at 7.30pm
Venue:  Ipswich School Great School, Ivry Street, IP1 3SG
Tickets: £19. Concessions: £17. Students: £7

Festival favourites the Chris Ingham Quartet are back for the Jazz Night, this time with jazz violinist Ben Holder. 33-year-old Ben is the most acclaimed and exciting jazz violinist in the UK, who will bring “flawless musicianship, heaps of energy and personality and a visible passion for his craft” to the Festival stage.


Symphony Night: Prometheus Orchestra

Saturday 7 October at 7.30pm 
Venue:  Ipswich School Great School, Ivry Street, IP1 3SG
Tickets: £19. Concessions: £17. Students: £7

In a year when we celebrate Thomas Wolsey’s contribution to learning in Ipswich and Suffolk, we are delighted that we have local professional orchestra The Prometheus Orchestra joining us for Saturday’s concert, which will include ‘side-by-side’ performances with young people.

The Prometheus Orchestra, conducted by Matthew Andrews, was founded in 2008 by Edmond and Liz Fivet and the violinist Pam Munks as a Suffolk-based professional orchestra with the aim of bringing classical music to communities in Suffolk.

Our Symphony Night will include Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.


Evensong at St Mary-le-Tower

Sunday 8 October at 3.30pm
Venue:  St Mary-le-Tower Church, Ipswich
Tickets: Admission free. Retiring collection

Ipswich School’s Chapel Choir will take part in the Evensong at St Mary-le-Tower in a joint event to commemorate Thomas Wolsey. Expect uplifting music and a chance to pause and reflect.


For further information on the Festival of Music please contact festivalofmusic@ipswich.school or 01473 408300

We are grateful to our principal Festival of Music sponsor, Mr Karl Daniels, for his generous support of this year’s event, and to our other sponsor, the Old Ipswichians