The research work is devoted to the study and solving of the actual problem – the development of ethnoconfessional musical education of South Ukraine Mennonite colonists in the late XVIII – early XX centuries and a generalization of its educational potential.
In the course of the research, historical and cultural backgrounds (economic, ethnoconfessional, cultural, pedagogical) were identified that ensured the continuous and gradual development of ethnoconfessional musical education of the Mennonites as a confessional minority resident in the southern Ukrainian lands. The ethnoconfessional life of the Mennonites as a foreign-language and other-spiritual ethnic homogeneous community with its own historical civilization mission is associated with the preservation of traditions and canons that were reproduced in the content of musical education.
The work clarifies that ethnoconfessional musical education is an integral part of the spiritual culture of the Mennonites, whose community had close ethnic interrelationships on the basis of the beliefs of the faith, and systematically reproduced the idea of Christotzentrism by means vocal and choral art in the process of teaching children and young people in schools.
In the research work is proved that the function of ethnoconfessional musical education is an external expression of the content properties (hymns, psalms, spiritual and folk songs) through the material of the Mennonite musical and educational phenomenon existence form in society, is reflected in the collective consciousness of subjects that reproduce ethnoconfessional, artistic and educational concepts in praxiological activity. Functions such as ethno-confessional, artistic, spiritual-musical, educational and artistic are conditioned by the expression of the ethno-confessional musical education essence in a society and are derived from its content and actions of subjects, but they can gradually change with the emergence of new historical tasks and goals in the context of culture. The main components of the ethno-confessional musical education content are cultural and artistic, performing-spiritual school practice and educational activities.
According to certain criteria, the historical and pedagogical periodization of the development of ethnoconfessional Mennonite colonists musical education in the Ukraine South during the investigated period, which reveals internal interrelations in a different cultural plane between confession, music and education, is systematized according to important historical dates, the development of Mennonite colonists ethnoconfessional musical education for setting the differences at each stage.
At the pre-chronological stage (Prussia, Switzerland, 1717–1812 gg.), the influence of the Prussian education system, especially the musical and educational views of J. Pestalozzi, G. Negeli, B. K. L. Natorpa, and others, is felt and intensified on the origin of Mennonites ethnoconfessional musical education.
The first stage (1789–1842 gg.) Is the conceptual and theoretical: the musical-pedagogical concept of B. K. L. Natorpa (1813), the musical and pedagogical works of G. Negeli (1810, 1817, 1821, 1832) according to which the voice of each child can be equal, flexible and sonorous, if it is systematically accustomed to the rhythm and harmony in music, and the musical language may be accessible to the broad masses of children at school.
The second stage (1843–1880) – organizational and methodical: the purposeful administrative actions of J. Coronis on the standardization of curricula and curricula for rural schools of Mennonites, which clearly defines the organization of singing for a digital audio system against the backdrop of broad opposition from it by school teachers and Mennonite community in southern Ukrainian lands.
The third stage (1881 – the beginning of the ХХ century) – activity and pedagogy: the spread of children singing in the schools of Mennonites through the digital audio system through the mastery of the music theory, techniques and the practical implementation of spiritual singing by children; the ability of children and young people to perform multi-voiced choral parties at school competitions and festivals, reflecting the soundness of the harmony of a musical composition, taking into account the artistic dimension, form, balance of sound material.
The post-chronological stage (1920’s USA, Canada, Mexico) was marked by the mass departure of Mennonite colonists from the South of Ukraine.
