W. de Wycombe

W. de Wycombe (; also Wicumbe, Whichbury and Winchecumbe) was an English composer of the high medieval music. He was precentor of the priory of Leominster in Herefordshire. It is possible that he was the composer of one of the most famous tunes from medieval England, “Sumer is icumen in”. Life and career Wycombe is variously identified as W de Wyc, Willelmus de Winchecumbe, Willelmo de Winchecumbe, or William of Winchcombe. He appears to have been a secular scribe and precentor employed for about four years at the priory of Leominster in Herefordshire during the 1270s. He is also thought to have been a sub-deacon of the cathedral priory as listed in the Worcester Annals or possibly a monk at St Andrew’s in Worcester. Wycombe left a number of documents with his signature, including a collectarium, a precentor’s workbook, two rotuli (scrolls) containing music, a summary and treatise on music, a history to which Winchecumbe added music and other books. His name also appears in a Reading manuscript including the rota “Sumer is icumen in”, and on one of seven sets of four-part compositions in the Wintonia collection. Two of these compositions are partially preserved and parts of others