The manuscipt is an Old Church Slavonic Chant book, hand written with chant notation in both black and red. The cover is gilt tooled calf with two claps, one is broken. There are three raised bands on the spine. Page edges are stained red. Size is 7.5 x 9.5" and it is 2.5" thick.
The manuscript is missing at least one opening quire and is possibly rebound in the present cover. The first page in the manuscript is number "L" with a titla, indicating 50. But there is not enough room in the present cover for fifty pages before the first. There are very few page numbers through out and all are still in "pencil", not yet inked over. A number of pages are incomplete. Some of the ornate work is still in "pencil" some in outline and some text is missing the chant notation.
Most of the manuscript appears to be vespers material, but there is a section of matins canons at the very end. The canon section is in an obviously different hand.
Below are some images from the manuscript. I'm not a professional musician, nor am I trained in this chant notation. I'm just an interested cantor in the Carpatho/Rusyn tradition that has an interest in church singing. I'm curious as to how this chant relates to the received chant in my own tradition.
Comments are invited and appreciated!
