Nine months in to his post, we caught up with Eden Devaney to find out more about what it’s like to be the Assistant Conductor with Ayr Choral…
Ayr Choral – Eden Devaney, Assistant Conductor with Ayr Choral – how did that come about?
Eden Devaney – I first started my choral conducting journey a year before I came up to Glasgow for university. At the time, I was taking a year out to get my voice in a place to go to conservatoire, as I had only been singing classically for a year at that point. My then singing teacher was the director of the college chamber choir, however, he was just about to take a sabbatical, so being in the right place at the right time, I started taking the choir and fell in love choral directing!
When I then arrived at RCS [Royal Conservatoire of Scotland] I hadn’t had the opportunity to be in front of a choir. I then met the wonderful Andy McTaggart when I was working for the Cumnock Tryst festival 2023, and in one of the many drives over to Cumnock Andy mentioned in passing that his choir in Ayr was going to be looking for an assistant conductor, I pounced at the opportunity and I haven’t looked back.
AC – You had to audition in front of the whole choir – what was that like?
ED – The choir at the time were rehearsing for their Christmas concert, and I was given Ola Gjeilo’s arrangement of the Holly and the Ivy. The audition was to work for 45 minutes, including warm up and working on the music and I was a bag of nerves. I don’t remember too much of the audition but I remember seeing the sea of faces as I was fumbling my words to describe what I wanted from the choir, I realised in that moment that taking a chamber choir rehearsal and a large choir rehearsal is a completely different kettle of fish.
AC – What are some of the key things you’ve learned so far?
ED – During my time so far I have learned that the less you physically do with your arms is most of the time actually better and clearer for a choir to read. As well as this learning how to relate warm up to the needs of the music, whether that is obvious or not, is monumental for a smooth running of rehearsal.
AC – And has anything surprised you?
ED – Having been with the choir for nine months now, just learning about all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes and then the amount of work that goes into a smooth running of a choir is huge. Whether that is from committee meetings, music preparation, score hire, budgets, fund raising, to even tea, coffee and baked goods. It was probably me being naive, but the choir couldn’t function without it.
AC – How important is it for amateur groups, like choirs and orchestras, to be able to offer opportunities like this?
ED – I think opportunities like this for a young conductor like myself are crucial. It is extremely rare to have an opportunity to work with a real functioning choir in a zero-pressure environment, where you can make mistakes and that is okay.
It isn’t just an opportunity to work with a choir, it is also a mentorship. Having sessions with the choir isn’t just you and choir. Andy is always sat at the side ready to work and coach you. Whether that is a quiet word in your ear or publicly so the choir is involved.
AC – You’re with us until the end of the year, what are you looking forward to most in that time?
ED – I am looking forward to the October concert “When it is Peace”, where we perform Karl Jenkins’ ‘The Armed Man’ and James MacMillan’s ‘All the Hills and Vales Along’. Both pieces are both beautifully programmed – exploring themes of the impact of war, which is extremely poignant at this moment in time. However, I am extremely excited to take to the podium at my final concert as Assistant Conductor which is the Christmas concert with the Newmilns and Galston Brass Band, with some cracking Christmas tunes and maybe an audience carol or two!
AC – And after that, what’s next for you?
ED – In the very near future there is some extremely exciting news in my choral conducting journey (announcement very soon). However, this isn’t the last time I will grace the doors of Ayr Choral. I will be joining the choir in their March 2025 concert – singing some Schubert, Handel and Britten.
AC – What would you say to anyone considering trying for this role in future?
ED – Do it! No matter what your experience in conducting is, having an opportunity like this is priceless, plus everyone is just delightful!