St. John Koukouzelis

The greatest of Byzantine composers, a boy from Dyrrachium taken into the imperial choir at Constantinople for his voice, who fled the court and hid on Athos as a goatherd until someone recognised the singing. He reformed the notation, composed and arranged an enormous repertory, and gave his name to the kalophonic or beautified style, in which a short text is unfolded at very great length with wordless syllables woven into it. The Theotokos is said to have appeared to him in the chapel where he chanted and to have left a gold coin in his hand. Feast: October 1.