The New Leimōnarion composed by Ioannis Kavadas, a 19th-century Protopsaltis of Chios

An unknown work awaiting its performance

Authors

• Michael Stroumpakis Patriarchal University Ecclesiastical Academy of Crete

Keywords:

Leimonarion, Ioannis Kavadas, Doxastarion

Abstract

The book The New Leimonarion was published in Venice in 1819. It contains martyrdoms, old and new, and narratives of the lives of saints. New services dedicated to the New Martyrs on Chios island were added in the Neon Leimonarion by St Nikiforos of Chios. These services do not belong to the official texts of the Menaion, but they concern a local liturgical tradition in honour of the New Martyrs. This paper aims to present the unknown compositions recorded in the manuscript of Ioannis Kavadas. The importance of the manuscript is evident: it is argued that it is a unique manuscript that contains compositions dedicated entirely to the New Martyrs of Chios. Furthermore, elements of the morphology of the compositions are discussed to reveal their unique musical content.