W. de Wycombe
Encyclopedia
W. de Wycombe (late thirteenth century) was an English
composer and copyist of the Medieval
era. He was precentor of the priory of Leominster
in Herefordshire
. He may have been the composer of the most famous tune from medieval England, Sumer is icumen in
, though the identification is considered by most scholars to be tenuous.
Wycombe's main period of activity was probably the 1270s and 1280s. He is best known as the composer of polyphonic
alleluia
s. Over 40 settings have been identified in several sources, a group of compositions almost equal in size to that of Léonin
, the earlier composer of the continental Notre Dame school
; however only one of the 40 can be restored completely: the others exist only in fragments. Some of his work appears in the Worcester Fragments
, a collection of 59 manuscript leaves which represents about a third of the total surviving polyphony from England in the 13th century.
Each of Wycombe's alleluia
s is in four parts. The second and fourth contain the solo respond and verse sections, while the first and third consist of free polyphony. Stylistically they are similar to the Reading Rota itself (Sumer is icumen in), emphasizing tonic
and supertonic
, and showing the English preference for the harmonic interval of the third.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
composer and copyist of the Medieval
Medieval music
Medieval music is Western music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Roman Empire and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century...
era. He was precentor of the priory of Leominster
Leominster
Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
. He may have been the composer of the most famous tune from medieval England, Sumer is icumen in
Sumer Is Icumen In
"Sumer Is Icumen In" is a traditional English round, and possibly the oldest such example of counterpoint in existence. The title might be translated as "Summer has come in" or "Summer has arrived"....
, though the identification is considered by most scholars to be tenuous.
Wycombe's main period of activity was probably the 1270s and 1280s. He is best known as the composer of polyphonic
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
alleluia
Alleluia
The word "Alleluia" or "Hallelujah" , which at its most literal means "Praise Yah", is used in different ways in Christian liturgies....
s. Over 40 settings have been identified in several sources, a group of compositions almost equal in size to that of Léonin
Léonin
Léonin is the first known significant composer of polyphonic organum. He was probably French, probably lived and worked in Paris at the Notre Dame Cathedral and was the earliest member of the Notre Dame school of polyphony and the ars antiqua style who is known by name...
, the earlier composer of the continental Notre Dame school
Notre Dame school
The group of composers working at or near the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris from about 1160 to 1250, along with the music they produced, is referred to as the Notre Dame school, or the Notre Dame School of Polyphony....
; however only one of the 40 can be restored completely: the others exist only in fragments. Some of his work appears in the Worcester Fragments
Worcester fragments
The Worcester Fragments are a collection of medieval music associated with Worcester, England.The Worcester Fragments comprise 25 short pieces of vocal music. They are referred to as "fragments" because they do not exist in one unified manuscript but have been reassembled from sheets used as...
, a collection of 59 manuscript leaves which represents about a third of the total surviving polyphony from England in the 13th century.
Each of Wycombe's alleluia
Alleluia
The word "Alleluia" or "Hallelujah" , which at its most literal means "Praise Yah", is used in different ways in Christian liturgies....
s is in four parts. The second and fourth contain the solo respond and verse sections, while the first and third consist of free polyphony. Stylistically they are similar to the Reading Rota itself (Sumer is icumen in), emphasizing tonic
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
and supertonic
Supertonic
In music or music theory, the supertonic is the second degree or note of a diatonic scale, one step above the tonic. In music theory, the supertonic chord is symbolized by the Roman numeral ii in a major scale, indicating that the chord is a minor chord , or ii in a natural minor scale, indicating...
, and showing the English preference for the harmonic interval of the third.
Sources
- Richard H. Hoppin, Medieval Music. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1978. ISBN 0-393-09090-6