MUSIC TRAINING IN CHURCH PARISH SCHOOLS OF SOUTHERN UKRAINE IN THE 80-90’S OF THE XIX CENTURY

Abstract

Children’s musical training in church parish schools of the theological department in the South of Ukraine in the second half of the 19th century has been examined in the article. The prerequisites for the creation of these educational institutions have been determined. It is emphasized that their creation and development greatly contributed to the formation of the region’s primary education system.
The author provides statistical data on church parish schools and literacy schools of the Kherson diocese from 1884 to 1894. The prevalence of this type of primary schools and their demand among the broad masses of the population is confirmed by the indicator of the quantitative growth of pupils, as well as the steady dynamics of its growth over the first 10 years of its existence in the territory of the Southern region of Ukraine.
According to the "Rules on Church Parish Schools" approved in 1884, education in the school provided, in addition to the Law of God and church singing, the provision of elementary knowledge of arithmetic, writing, reading, as well as the education of the younger generation "in the spirit of ecclesiasticism and statehood" . Teachers played a huge role in ensuring the educational process. The article provides archival data on teachers’ educational level of the Kherson diocese in the academic year 1889-1890.
It is underlined by the author the fact that a special place in primary school among educational subjects belonged to church singing, which was a necessary addition to the Law of God and mandatory for all pupils to study. The main goal of teaching singing in church parish educational institutions was religious and moral education and preparing pupils for participation in church worship. The training content included singing prayers and church hymns, familiarization with notes. The method of teaching church singing in many schools included learning by ear. "Meloharmonia" by L. Shpanovskyi was used as manuals in some schools of the Kherson diocese. However, it is noted that there weren’t unified teaching textbooks.