Wolsey's Big Huzzah!

This event has been made possible thanks to support and funding from Ipswich Central, Chivers Trust, Ipswich Borough Council and National Lottery Heritage Fund. It forms part of our Summer Events which are kindly supported by McCarthy Stone and Ashtons Legal.

The event gets underway at 12pm with a procession from St Peter’s by the Waterfront, along St Peter’s Street, St Nicholas Street, Queen Street and Princes Street before reaching the Cornhill around 1pm. Get there in good time to grab your viewing spot! 

Featuring Tudor music groups the Cambridge and Colchester Waits, led by local professional Renaissance musician Emma Mordue, the procession will grow in numbers as groups of school children join along the way, each providing their own mini performance at St Peter’s on the Waterfront, outside The Thomas Wolsey Pub, at The Thomas Wolsey statue and outside Music World.

The procession is a collaboration between Ipswich Central founded Thomas Wolsey 550 Project, and the Suffolk Music Hub, with children from five primary schools across the town.

Welcoming the parade to the Cornhill are students from Sidegate Primary School who will perform a specially created piece choreographed as part of school workshops with Ipswich based physical theatre company, Gecko. The parade schools will then come together on the Cornhill for a resounding rendition of all four Tudor songs performed along the route as one in unison. 

And if that wasn’t enough, Cardinal Wolsey and King Henry VIII in costume will be in town to enjoy the performance, alongside Ipswich’s Mayor.

Primary Schools taking part in parade are Broke Hall, Ranelagh, Ravenswood, St Marks and Rosehill.

The Tudor Songs being performed are Tomorrow the Fox, Hey Ho Nobody Home, Tallis Canon and Great Tom’s Cast.

The Parade route starts at St Peters by the Waterfront, then follows St Peter’s Street, St Nicholas Street, Queen Street and Princes Street, ending on the Cornhill.