Abbey song manuscript returns to Reading after nearly 500 years
It's often cited as the earliest known English song with surviving music
The original medieval manuscript of 'Sumer is icumen in', also known as the famed 'Reading Rota' has returned to Reading after hundreds of years.
It's been loaned to Reading museum until the 9 May by the British library - it's the first time the manuscript has come back to the town since the dissolution of Reading Abbey in 1539.
The manuscript, one of the most celebrated pieces of medieval English music, is believed to have been created at Reading Abbey in the mid-13th century. It contains the earliest known example of a six part polyphonic round and opens with the well-known‑ Middle English lines: “Sumer is icumen in / lhude sing cuccu” – “Summer has arrived / Loudly sing, cuckoo!”
Appropriately, it will be shown in The Story of Reading gallery, within the Reading Abbey displays, in its own dedicated case just metres from the Abbey Quarter where it was likely composed over 750 years ago.
Extraordinary
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.”
Reading Rota
The Reading Rota has influenced generations of musicians and 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 has previously explored the manuscript’s significance through the online exhibition From music to magic: Reading Abbey’s most famous manuscript, developed with Professor Anne Lawrence-Mathers, University of Reading. This exhibition remains available at:
The manuscript will be on display at Reading Museum until 9 May 2026 www.readingmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/sumer-icumen