Celebrating the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s New Testament
28 October 2026
On Thursday 22 October, Hertford College marked the 500th anniversary of the printing of alumnus William Tyndale’s New Testament in English.
We were delighted to receive a video recording in advance of the event from Oxford’s Chancellor William Hague, in which he emphasised the impact of ‘this remarkable but highly controversial man’, describing him as ‘wise, brave, and here [at Hertford]’.
Hertford’s Chaplain, the Revd Anthony Buckley, welcomed visitors to Hertford’s Chapel, home to the beautiful Tyndale Window, and encouraged them to reflect on what makes the written word truly inspirational. He described the anniversary as follows:
‘Hertford alumnus William Tyndale published his translation of the New Testament in 1526. It came to have enormous significance for three reasons. First, it helped shape the English language. Secondly, it helped people think afresh about what is at the heart of the Christian faith. Thirdly, it enshrined as a key theme of scholarship accessibility of texts to people of all ages and backgrounds. It was a joy to celebrate all this, and more.’
Summing up the event itself, he continued,
‘The choir sung the newly commissioned piece ‘Love Again’ by Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, the Revd Dr Robert Wainwright gave a concise and brilliant overview of Tyndale’s life, the librarians produced a wonderful display, and we were joined by students, alumni and visitors, including Reverends Jason St John Nicolle, James Marston and Stephen Osei-Mensah from three of the Hertford livings – parish churches of which we are patrons, where we have the historic right to assist with the choosing of vicars, and to encourage and support as best we can.’
Composer and Hertford alumna Joanna Forbes L’Estrange was present at the world premiere of her piece. She said:
‘I’m delighted to be here today to hear this very special choir, which means such a lot to me, in this very beautiful building!’, and offered some advice to aspiring creatives: ‘If you feel any kind of compulsion to write, whether that’s music or words, or do any kind of artistic impression, then just go with it and don’t feel any pressure; just run with that feeling, because it means it’s meant to be there.’
Alongside the event in Chapel, the library team shared a display of sixteenth and seventeenth-century Tyndale-related books, curated by Hertford alumna Kelli Skinner Eyerly (see her blog post for further details of Hertford’s collection). In addition to Hertford’s books, the event showcased the Principal’s own sixteenth-century Bible, which has been passed down through the women in her family.
The Principal, Alex Freeman, summed up the day:
‘Old words set to new music; medieval manuscripts being examined by new students… modern Hertford met medieval Hertford, and the sun came out specially! From the medieval-themed Formal Hall on the Tuesday to welcoming back alumni and clergy from some of our associated livings for Thursday’s event, the occasion provided an opportunity to connect different parts of the Hertford community in new ways.’
Anthony Buckley added,
‘It was not too grand, but simply a happy and informative afternoon, with considerable quiet expertise behind the scenes. A time of learning, sharing and teaching; I think Tyndale would have approved.’