Janet was born in Perthshire and educated at Edinburgh University, where as a student she sang with the Edinburgh Festival Chorus. She studied singing at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, gaining the Herbert Murrill memorial prize and a scholarship from the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers. Subsequently she sang with the original D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and then with Scottish Opera.

While at Guildhall she broadcast for BBC World Service radio, recorded for Thames Television and took part in the City of London Festival. She also took part in the Aldeburgh Festival production of Eugene Onegin.

With D'Oyly Carte she sang the part of Kate in Yeomen of the Guard and understudied and sang the parts of Constance in The Sorcerer and Zorah in Ruddigore.

With Scottish Opera she sang The Owl in Cunning Little Vixen and as one of the quartet in Manon Lescaut.

For Albany Opera she sang the part of Kate Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly and The Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas.

Since leaving Scottish Opera, Janet has concentrated on a concert career, singing in many languages. She also specializes in Scots song, singing at ceilidhs, Burns Suppers and with Strathspey and Reel Societies.

Avril McCusker has over 20 years experience in teaching singing to all ages and in all musical genres. She currently teaches singing at Dancepoint, Hutcheson's Grammar School and Craigholme School; is a musicianship trainer for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus and one of the children's choirs for the National Youth Choir of Scotland. She combines all this with a varied private practice.

Avril also has extensive experience as a performer. Her most recent solo work includes Elijah by Mendelssohn, Faure's Requiem and Haydn's Mass in Time of War.

Colin Judson studied singing at the Guildhall School of Music. Since leaving College in 1992 his operatic roles have included Remendado in Carmen for British Youth Opera, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, Don Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro, Isaac in La Gazza Ladra, Conte D’Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Monostatos, First Priest and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte and Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas.

With English Touring Opera he sang the title role in Werther and with Glyndebourne Festival Opera he covered the triple tenor parts of Der Prinz, Kammerdiener, Der Marquis in Graham Vick's production of Lulu. He has appeared in the role of Gaston (La Traviata) with Glyndebourne Touring Opera in their 1997 autumn tour. He has appeared in Carmen at the Royal Albert Hall and in concert he performed the Verdi Requiem in Hereford Cathedral and Haydn's Nelson Mass for the Brighton Festival.

With Glyndebourne Festival Opera he performed the role of Coryphee in Le Comte D'Ory and the same role with Glyndebourne Touring Opera. He returned to Glyndebourne Festival in 2001 to reprise the role of Andrew in Birtwistle's The Last Supper, having sung the role with Glyndebourne Touring Opera in 2000 and earlier in the year in concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Last year he sang Remendado (Carmen) at Glyndebourne, conducted by Philippe Jordan (including a televised performance)

For Cologne Opera Colin has appeared as Hirt/Junge Seemann (Tristan und Isolde), Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte), Spoletta (Tosca), Venditore (Il Tabarro), Goro (Madama Butterfly) and Gaston (La Traviata). In 2001 he sang Pedrillo (Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail) and an acclaimed Truffaldino in The Love of Three Oranges.

In 2002 he made his début with Scottish Opera as Alfred in Die Fledermaus, returning for Borsa (Rigoletto) with further performances last year. Further recent highlights include Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic, Britten's 'War Requiem' at the Megaron in Athens, Male Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia) at the Dartington International Music School and Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor) for New Sussex Opera.

His début with English National Opera was in their acclaimed production of The Magic Flute and last season Colin also sang Remendado at the Tenerife Opera and made his debut at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden as Pang (Turandot), as well as returning to Scottish Opera to sing Jaquino (Fidelio) and L’Incredibile (Andrea Chenier) and to ENO for Salome (Third Jew) and The Magic Flute.