In 1121 King Henry 1 founded Reading Abbey. He and his wife are believed to be buried here, but the grave has long since disappeared. All that remains today are the Abbey ruins, situated in Forbury Gardens. From the time it was built, and for hundreds of years afterwards, the Abbey was a centre for community and music making. It would have been one of very few places to hear live music on such a large scale. The Abbey was once home to one of the oldest songs in english and the ruins even have a connection to Reading Festival.
SUMER IS ICUMEN IN
“Sumer is Icumen In” is the oldest known musical composition that features six part polyphony. It was discovered in the Abbey in 1261, which is why it is sometimes called the Reading Rota. It might have been owned by one of the three Reading monks that are mentioned in the manuscript.
“Sumer Is Icumen In” are the only Middle English words in the song, the rest of it is made up of Latin and French texts. The original manuscript is now held in the British Library. It has been recorded by a number of musicians and has been used to great effect in film and TV; perhaps most notably in the Wicker Man. The song is often remembered because of its “Cuckoo” chorus which you can listen to it here, there is also a copy in Reading Library.
READING FESTIVAL
The Abbey is partly responsible for the world famous Reading Festival. In its early days, the festival toured to a different town each year. They held one of these events to mark the 850th anniversary of Reading Abbey; it was such a huge success that the organisers cancelled their tour and the festival has been held in Reading ever since!