Alison McNeill

Tell us about your background

I’m from Inverclyde on the west coast of Scotland, with family roots in Germany and Islay.

What sparked your love of the arts?

My grandad was a world champion piper, and my great aunt was an opera singer, so I’d say I got the two sides of my career from them. My parents love music and took my sister and I to various concerts, dance classes, drama groups, and were very supportive when I got a violin.

I performed in the RSNO Junior Chorus, Inverclyde Schools Orchestra and West of Scottish Schools Symphony Orchestra before gaining a place at the RSAMD Junior Conservatoire as a double first violinist and singer. I also spent many family holidays in Islay learning fiddle tunes from old Peter at the pub!

What was it like studying at RSAMD?

I got a reserve place at first which I was very upset about. I took a year out, studied languages at night school and worked on technique, then auditioned for Royal College London and RSAMD where I gained places at both. I was awarded the ABRSM scholarship for four years and studied undergraduate and postgraduate.

The training I received at RSAMD was second to none. I worked with incredible teachers, directors, dancers and was inspired by the music I heard and performed.

The people I studied with inspired me and I remember being given a CD of Spanish song for my birthday by Portuguese friends. I played it over and over and fell in love with the repertoire. Later, I came across a poster for masterclasses in Spanish song with the legendary Mezzo Soprano Teresa Berganza in Granada on the vocal studies board.

I applied and was one of eight singers selected from across the world to study in Granada. This was a real turning point and opened up many opportunities to perform in Spain, The Netherlands, Mexico and Japan as a Spanish song recitalist. After periods of private study in Spain, I returned to RCS for my master’s to study with Wilma McDougall.

How did your time at RSAMD prepare you for the world of work?

Studying at RSAMD was busy and stressful but highly rewarding. Having teachers who are direct is important. It teaches you how to survive in the real musician’s world. Mark Hathaway always made us reflect on our journey, our strengths, weaknesses and next steps. It has been hugely important for me to organise my life, set goals, and strategically plan the next steps in my career.

I think it’s important to know who you are as a person, where your interests lie and remember that not everyone has the same path. Whilst it can be tough swimming against the tide, now more than ever, I have found it important to have a portfolio career that lets me explore, travel, create and grow as a performer.

A conversation I had with Havilland Willshire has always stuck with me, “There is no-one else like you, so why try to be like anyone else. Enjoy the Journey.”

What have you been up to since you graduated?

I’ve been working as a soprano, conductor, writer and fiddle player with folk rock band Reely Jiggered.

I won the Andres Segovia prize for Spanish Song in Spain (the only non-native speaker to win this award). I premiered new works by Spain’s foremost composers Anton Garcia Abril and Teresa Bretal in the National Auditorium of Galicia and Atheneum in Madrid and was lucky enough to performed in the Manuel de Falla Auditorium in Granada and in the houses of celebrated composers Joaquin Rodrigo and Manuel de Falla.

I was an artist in residence for Enterprise Music Scotland with world class guitarist Sasha Savaloni and gave two World Premieres by Stuart MacRae and Marco Ramelli at the St. Magnus International Festival in Orkney as well as a recital in Madrid’s famous “Clasicos en Verano” Chamber Music Festival.

As a Traditional Musician, I’m a fiddler and singer songwriter in the award-winning folk-rock band, Reely Jiggered who won the 02 abc SoundWave Music competition and have since released three albums to critical acclaim. We perform in many international folk festivals, most recently returning from a tour of Pakistan, Ireland, Denmark, USA and Kenya. The band have performed at the Scottish Parliament, Celtic Connections and for BBC Radio nan Gaidheal, Radio 4, Pakistani and Mexican National TV. We have recently returned from performing at New York Tartan Week with performances at Sony Hall and Club Cumming.

Conducting wasn’t something I considered until I got the job of Vocal Coach of RSNO Junior Chorus under conductor Christopher Bell. He encouraged me to take up conducting and mentored me. I’ve conducted the National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland’s Boys Choir and 100 strong Junior Choir. I conduct the NYCOS National Boys Choir treble voices, two choirs within RSNO youth choruses and Coats Choral with the Glasgow Chamber Orchestra.

What has been your most memorable moment from your career so far?

Singing the Verdi Requiem with the RSNO at the Royal Concert Hall. I have always loved the piece but was scared of it and the sheer stamina required. I practiced it every day for months and listened a lot to Tom McGuire and the Brassholes to get me in the right mindset for it. I loved performing it and with it being one of the toughest works for the soprano soloist, I was really proud of myself.

Performing in Kenya with Reely Jiggered was an incredible experience. Alongside our other gigs, we went to visit the Still I Rise school for child refugees and children living in poverty. The teachers there are an inspiration and the children were incredible. We are fundraising this year to help them with the next stage of their building project at the school so they can help more children receive an education.

Conducting and organising a flashmob tour of Belfast with the National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland Junior Choir after covid was a highlight. We gave pop-up performances at City Hall, Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens and Titanic and it was wonderful to see the reaction of the choir and audience after so long without concerts.

What’s next for you?

A sensory immersive storytelling project for primary schools with author Alex Brown and my sister Fiona McNeill, a voice over artist.  I’m learning 12th century songs in Persian and Urdu by a poet called Amir Khusro for a project that will see Reely Jiggered and Rakae Jamil, a sitar player from Pakistan work on a Pakistani and Scottish collaboration for the main stage of the Mela Festival.

After summer, I’m collaborating with an aerial artist that will see us work on a piece for Samhain at the Crannog Centre along with a Danish singer and Voices of Argyll to explore the shared heritage of Scottish and Nordic culture, culminating in a tour of Denmark performing in the largest viking hall in Leyre.

I’ll have concerts in Kenya, India, Northern Ireland and will be preparing to conduct concerts with Coats Choral and the Glasgow Chamber Orchestra as well as a collaboration with Alba Ballet and Voices of Argyll.