Ancient song returns to Reading after 500 years

The manuscript of the Reading Rota or Sumer is icumen in has returned to Reading after 500 years. It will be on display in Reading Museum until 9 May, on loan from the British Museum. This is the first time the document has been back in the town since the dissolution of Reading Abbey in 1539.

The manuscript is called Sumer is icumen in, which is Middle English for "Summer has arrived." It starts with the lines: "Sumer is icumen in / lhude sing cuccu" — meaning "Summer has arrived / Loudly sing, cuckoo!" It is thought to have been written by monks at Reading Abbey in the mid-13th century.

What makes it so special? It's believed to be the earliest English song where the music has survived to this day. It's also an impressive piece of music in its own right — written for six voices all singing different parts at the same time, making it one of the earliest examples of this style of singing ever written.

The manuscript is displayed in a special case in The Story of Reading gallery, just a short walk from the Abbey ruins where it was probably created. There's even a stone plaque about the song at the Abbey's Chapter House.

The Reading Rota has appeared in works as varied as The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), The Wicker Man (1973), and the beloved children’s series Bagpuss (1974).

Reading Museum information on the manuscript's display

Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture, said:
“It is a delight and privilege to welcome the Reading Rota home after nearly five centuries. This extraordinary manuscript is not only one of the jewels of medieval English music, but a powerful reminder of Reading’s international significance in the Middle Ages. Many of us will have learned  ‘Sumer is icumen in’ at school, and some of us are old enough to recognise the tune from Bagpuss, and having the original manuscript here in the town where it was created is a truly special moment. As we look ahead to opening our new Central Library this summer, it feels wonderfully fitting to celebrate a piece of Reading’s creative heritage that literally sings about the arrival of brighter days.”

Head of Culture Programmes at the British Library, Helen Schulte, said: “We're so thrilled to be lending Reading Libraries and Museums the ‘Sumer is icumen in’ manuscript, as part of our programme, British Library on Tour, which shares special items from the national collection with people across the UK. We are thankful to The Dorset Foundation for their support of this programme and we can’t wait for visitors to Reading Museum to see the 'Reading Rota' manuscript in the very place it’s believed to have been created in, over 700 years ago. ”