page_title: Communion (chant)
section_title: The koinonikon cycles of the Byzantine cathedral rite
hierarchical_section_title: Communion (chant) / The koinonikon cycle of the Divine Liturgy in Orthodox rites / The koinonikon cycles of the Byzantine cathedral rite
caption_attribution_description: English: Transcription of the manuscript Kastoria, Library of the Cathedral, Ms. 8, fol. 36v with cheironomies (Asmatikon notation) and a transcription into Byzantine round notation
context_page_description: The Communion is a refrain sung with psalm recitation during the distribution of the Eucharist in the Divine Liturgy or Mass. As chant it was connected with the ritual act of Christian communion.
context_section_description: In the cathedral rite of Constantinople the koinonikon as a troparion became so elaborated, that it was sung without psalm recitation.
  Nevertheless, its text was usually a stichos taken from the psalter, like the Sunday Koinonikon of the Week Cycle Αἰνεῖτε τὸν κύριον ("Praise the Lord" Ps 148:1), which had already added as an Octoechos cycle in 13th-century Greek Asmatika, so that they could be performed according to the echos of the week. Within the weekly cycle each koinonikon was also specified to certain liturgical occasions such as the Wednesday koinonikon Ποτήριον σωτηρίου ("Cup of salvation" Ps 115:4) which was dedicated to feasts around the Theotokos or around martyres. Apart from the week cycle there was a repertory of 26 koinonika which developed as a calendaric cycle of immoveable and moveable feasts during the 9th century and they can be found in the books of the cathedral rite since the 12th century (psaltikon and asmatikon).
  Since the 14th century, when a mixed rite had replaced the former tradition of the cathedral rite at Hagia Sophia, the old models have been elaborated in compositions of the Maistores like John Glykys, John Koukouzeles, and Manuel Chrysaphes.
caption: Easter koinonikon σῶμα χριστοῦ μεταλάβετε in echos plagios protos with the old cheironomies (hand signs) or Asmatikon notation and their transcription into Byzantine round notation in a manuscript of the 14th century (GR-KA Ms. 8, fol. 36v)
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