Ukrainian Harvest Songs as a Focus of Attention of Researchers and Composers

The purpose of the article is to examine Ukrainian harvest songs as an object of research interest and the specificity of their use by composers. The research methodology is based on ethnomusicological, art history and cultural approaches which allowed to analyze the basic principles of scientific approach in regard to harvest songs, the frequency of their use by contemporary composers, and to outline the historical perspective of their existence taking into account changes in the calendar and ritual cycle. Such methodology made it possible to emphasize the present stage of scientific arrangement of harvest songs and their use by composers in works of various genres and forms as a folklore source. Scientific novelty lies in the setting of the research vector in the search for a methodological base on the selected topic and better understanding of the possible reasons for the actualization of “harvest” agenda among researchers and composers as well as in emphasizing the importance of preserving this part of folklore for future generations. Conclusions. It is noted that there is a small number of studies on the Ukrainian harvest songs compared with the other calendar and ritual songs. Z. Dolenha-Khodakovskyi, Lesia Ukrainka, K. Kvitka, Ya. Zuikha, H. Tantsiura, F. Kolessa, N. Prysiazhniuk, Yu. Krut, I. Klymenko and others explored the topic of the Ukrainian harvest songs. It was revealed that in some regional collections there is no records of harvest songs in contrast to the large number of them preserved in Volyn. It was found that harvest songs in the works of composers were used sporadically; M. Lysenko, M. Leontovych, Ya. Stepovyi, F. Kolessa, M. Verykivskyi, H. Verovka, P. Kozytskyi, L. Revutskyi, V. Barvinskyi, Yu. Ishchenko, L. Dychko and others used them in different genres and forms. It was revealed that among the composers who recently turned to harvest songs the creative work of Mykola Lastovetskyi stands out. His two collections contain 49 arrangements