Sumer Is Icumen In - Simon Mayor & Hilary James

Arranged and performed by Simon Mayor & Hilary James. Download single now available from Also on iTunes and Spotify. The manuscript of Sumer Is Icumen In was discovered in Reading Abbey, founded by King Henry I in 1121 and once one of Europe’s largest royal monasteries. The document dates from around 1261 and is the earliest known example of secular, polyphonic music. As this track is released (June 2021) Reading celebrates the 900th anniversary of the founding of its Abbey. The ruined remains were recently made safe and renovated by Reading Council, creating ‘The Abbey Quarter’, now the town’s main heritage destination.