Music as a bridge at Ayb

Song has always been at the heart of Armenian spiritual life. It is consolation, joy and also a way to find your true identity. For Ayb School, song has become an entire world, a platform where generations meet, where students and graduates continue the path of folk music together.

Today, Ayb has not only a student choir but also the alumni Kamar choir, whose name symbolizes the connection and bridge between generations of graduates.

We had a more detailed conversation with Anahit Papayan, who conducts both the student and alumni choirs, and Shushan Daveyan, who as a graduate, continues to sing in the choir and is an Ayb community active member.

Anahit Papayan: the arch of the song

Anahit Papayan can talk about the alumni choir for hours with love and pride.

“Our goal has become the performance, dissemination, and recognition of Armenian choral art. It is important for us to unite around and live with it.”

According to her, the choir has long been a community phenomenon beyond the educational program. It already unites 13 generations of Ayb graduates.

“We named ourselves “Kamar” (Arch) because our song is an arch connecting different graduates of the school. This is not just music but also a continuum of values.”

Kamar’s repertoire consists of compositional arrangements of Armenian folk and Armenian spiritual songs. Over the years of its existence, the choir has performed at numerous concerts both in Armenia and abroad.

The most touching thing for Anahit is that the graduates never quit singing.

“Even after graduation many express a desire to join the choir. It is a great pleasure for me. We are like a family now. The school's greatest achievement is that it has been able to shape personalities who fulfill their spiritual needs through high art, in particular the Armenian folk song.”

The first steps in forming a choir

The choir was founded in 2011. Fr. Mesrop called Anahit, who was deeply involved in Armenian medieval spiritual and folk music, and offered her to lead the newly formed choir.

At first she doubted whether children will be interested in such art. But after the first few attempts, everything changed.

“Children were fascinated when they managed to sing in two voices for the first time. That polyphonic harmony ignited something inside. Even those who had no previous experience with this music started attending the rehearsals with love,” Papayan recalls.

A special song was chosen for the opening ceremony of the school: “Free Armenia” by Stepan Lusikyan.

“It became our unofficial anthem. We used to close every event with that song,” Anahit recalls.

First performance at UNESCO House

In 2014, the choir had its first solo concert at Paris Chamber Music Center. Following this concert, the next year they were invited to take part in events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in France.

Anahit recalls with delight how on their way, on the bus, the children began to sing, and the chief conductor of the concert heard them and said: "You will be the ones to start the concert."

And so it happened. At UNESCO House they performed excerpts from Armenian choral art, thus becoming participants of the opening act of the concert.

“That was an indescribable moment for us. For the first time outside Armenia, right on the UNESCO stage. It was a truly memorable start.”

The example of Erik Aloyan

Anahit notes that one of the greatest achievements of Kamar Choir is Erik Aloyan. Since his school years he has been distinguished by his initiative and sense of responsibility. Today he is already a conservatory graduate, a musician who has become an indispensable member of the group.

“Erik is a pillar for us. Thanks to his musical knowledge, sense of style and knowledge of medieval music, I can trust him to lead the entire group. In many concerts, he conducts some compositions himself,” Papayan says.

Shushan Daveyan: choir as serenity and relief

Shushan Daveyan is a 2020 graduate of Ayb School. Today she works at Ayb School and the Ayb Educational Foundation as a human resources specialist and at the same time studies at Yerevan State University. She joined the choir while still at school and after graduation, continued singing in Kamar without hesitation.

“Joining the alumni choir came so naturally to me. I can't imagine it being any other way. After a hard working day, the choir has become my best way to relax. Choral music has a unique magical effect. Rehearsals give me a relief that no other form of recreation can provide.”

For her, the choir is also a platform for transmitting values. Shushan emphasizes that Kamar helped build new connections and make close friends. 

“At school, we only knew students a few years older or younger than us. But Kamar gives an opportunity to meet all generations. It creates a unique intimacy that is difficult to imagine in other circumstances.”

The arch of the past, present and future

According to Anahit Papayan, Kamar has long gone beyond an educational program and become the heart of the community, where people unite around song to realize their identity and preserve national music.

“When we sing together, it's not just music. It’s a connecting arch between our past, present and future,” Anahit says.

And it is that arch that preserves school memories, deepens the bond between generations, and proves that music can be the most powerful bridge between people