In this edition, for the first time, palaeographic and analytical descriptions of the contents of all the Manuscripts of Byzantine Music Codices kept in the Archives of the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus are presented…… These codes, in total 69, span the period from the 10th/11th to the 19th/20th centuries.
Each Codex is judged as a treasure of old or new Byzantine hymnography and musical tradition. The Handwritten Codes, described in the Catalogue, show great eloquence and elegance in the way of copying various centers of literary activity, which existed in Cyprus and Greece.
The oldest codex with ancient musical notations is sticharario no. 39 of the 10th/11th century, written on the parchment, which was copied by Nikolaos the master. Other Codes have followed since antiquity, which contain unique hymns, such as e.g.. the Code no. 7, from the beginning of the 16th century, which contains unknown hymns in honor of Saint Spyridon bishop Trimythous (composer Manuel Xrysafis), Saint Epiphanius Archbishop of Cyprus (of Konstantinos Magoulas), Apostle Barnabas (by Ioannis Glykis), and Agios Triphyllios, bishop of Nicosia (of the lampstander Ioannou Glykis the letters and the member).
The Codexes with newer Byzantine musical writing are numerous. For this reason, their study will be very useful for contemporary performers of Byzantine Music in Greek churches and monasteries.. And in these Codexes we meet sporadically rare hymns, which are not found in the printed editions.
The paleographic description of the Codes is accompanied by the beginnings of the hymns together with the sounds and the composers. Generally, the collection of Codexes of the Archdiocese of Cyprus forms the basis for future research into the history of Byzantine Music and its spread throughout Hellenism.