This "different" text, which I present this evening, is entitled The Delight of Byzantine Musical Art in the Former Times and Today and it`s been the subject of my presentation during the International Symposium of Byzantologists, in Athens, in September 2005. The subject of this symposium was the The Delight of Byzantium in the Former Times and Today and, at the end of the presentations, there has been a Round Table during which six university professors talked about the delight of the sciences and arts we practice therapeutically: History; Philology; Law; Architecture; Painting; and Music. I was the last to speak, to bring the reunion to an end, and, in order to emphasize the living Delight of Byzantine Music, I wanted to discuss in my own way, based on numerous adequate sources, the celebration of the Epiphany Day in Byzantium around 1360, with its great service in the Great Church, Saint Sophia, and then the royal midday meal all the wise saints were invited to. The result was a story, which includes a dream, but, of course, an entire historical description too. And this text was written in three hours! To describe the Delight in the former times, I put the scholar aside and became a storyteller.

Keywords: Byzantine music, art, the Christening Day, music manuscripts

GRIGORIOS TH. STATHIS