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Icons of the Mother of God Kukuzelissa and others. John Kukuzel, Athonite, domestic (regent) († XII, commemorated October 1)
The Monk John Kukuzel, originally from Dyrrachia (Bulgaria), was left an orphan as a child. Possessing a very beautiful voice, he entered the court school of Constantinople, where for his talents he gained the favor of Emperor John Komnenos (1118 - 1143) and became the first court singer. But the delights of the imperial court tormented the God-loving young man. Not wanting to remain among comforts and luxury, avoiding the marriage that the emperor was preparing for him, young John began to look for ways to leave the capital and hide in the remote desert. By the will of God, having met with the Athonite elder - abbot, who arrived in Constantinople on monastic affairs, John revealed his intention to him and, with his blessing, went with him to the Holy Mountain. There he was accepted, tonsured as a monk and entrusted with shepherding the monastery flock. Leaving with the herd into the distant deserts of Svyatogorsk, the young man could, in solitude, freely indulge in prayer, contemplation of God and the singing of Divine hymns.
The angelic beauty of his voice enchanted even the animals, who gathered around the shepherd and listened to him spellbound. Due to his modesty and humility, the young singer did not reveal his gift to the brethren. Only once did the touching shepherd’s singing shock one hermit, and he informed the abbot about the wondrous singer. Young John revealed that he was a former court singer, and tearfully begged the abbot to leave him in his former shepherd's obedience. Fearing the disfavor of the emperor, who could find his favorite and return him from the Holy Mountain, the abbot himself went to Constantinople, told the emperor everything about the fate of his former subject and asked not to interfere with the young monk to follow his chosen path of salvation.
Since then, John Kukuzel sang on Sundays and other holidays in the cathedral on the right choir. For his singing, the saint was awarded the great mercy of the Mother of God Herself: one day, after an akathist sung before the icon of the Mother of God, the Mother of God Herself appeared to Saint John in a subtle dream and said to him: “Sing and don’t stop singing. I won’t leave you for that.” At these words, She placed a gold coin in John’s hand and became invisible. The coin was suspended from the icon, and from that time on, miracles began to happen from the icon and the coin. That icon, called “Kukouzelisa,” is still located in the Lavra of St. Athanasius. The memory is celebrated on October 1 and on the 10th Friday after Easter.
Subsequently, the Mother of God once again appeared to Saint John and healed him of a serious illness in his legs caused by long standing in the church. Saint John spent the rest of his days in intense ascetic labors. Anticipating the hour of his death, he said goodbye to the brethren, bequeathing to bury himself in the Archangel Church he created. Church choristers venerate St. John of Kukuzel as their special patron.
A skilled singer, the Monk John Kukuzel worked a lot in the science of church singing and deservedly earned himself the title of master and domestic: he himself corrected and composed melodies for church stichera, troparions and kontakions and for the entire church service; rearranged the texts of chants, wrote his own troparia. The following works of his are known from manuscripts: “A book containing, by God’s will, the entire order of the church order, compiled by the master, Mr. John Kukuzel.” - “Sequences compiled by Master John Kukuzel, from the beginning of Great Vespers even to the end of the Divine Liturgy.” – “The science of singing and singing signs with all the regulations for the hand and with the entire structure of singing”, etc.
St. Gregory Domestik, Athos († ca. 1360, commemorated October 1)
Gregory the Domestic, Glykis (Glyka, Greek Γρηγόριος ο Δομέστικος, Γλυκύς] (1355 / ca. 1360), hieromonk, Byzantine church composer, domesticist (charter and chief chanter), reverend.
According to legend, when Patriarch Callistus I first occupied the See of Constantinople (1350-1353), he sent a decree to Athos to sing St. Basil the Great instead of “It is worthy to eat” “He rejoices in You,” but his successor St. Philotheus Kokkin canceled this innovation, which caused controversy on Mount Athos. During his second tenure on the patriarchal throne (1355-1363), Callistus renewed his decree.
Gregory the Domestic is credited with composing the melos (melody) of the chant “He rejoices in You” in the 4th plagal voice with the designation “ancient” (ἀρχαῖον). According to legend, on the eve of Epiphany Gregory sang “He rejoices in You” and later saw the Most Holy Theotokos in a dream, who thanked him for singing in Her honor and gave him a gold coin. Since then, the rule has been to sing “He rejoices in You” instead of “It is worthy to eat.”
St. Savva Vishersky, Novgorod († 1461, commemorated October 1)