Leslie Sheills (flute) was born in Liverpool, and was initially taught by Atarah Ben Tovim, until he went to the Royal Northern College of Music, where he was taught by Trevor Wye and Pat Morris.  After a period of freelance playing with orchestras including The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, The Ulster Orchestra, The WNO and the Northern Sinfonia, he took up the position of Principal Flute with the National Symphony Orchestra in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he remained for 20 years.  During that time he recorded extensively for Radio, TV, and for the Koch Classical CD label, winning an Artes Award nomination for his recordings of the complete Bach Flute Sonatas, and performed all the major Flute Concertos, including World Premiere performances of two new concertos by South African composers Peter Klatzow and Alan Stephens.  He returned to the UK in 1996, and is now Head of Woodwind at Millfield School.  Unwilling to relinquish his passion for playing, he now plays with a number of chamber ensembles, and for the BHCO in Bristol.

Julie Payne (oboe) started playing the oboe and piano at a young age and played in the local schools orchestras in Avon before gaining a place at the Royal Northern College of Music in 1996. She was semi-finalist in the BBC Young Musician on the Year competition and has toured extensively around Europe and USA as well as working in Ghana with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ghana. She has also worked as an oboe soloist across the South West and performed regularly as part of the Bath Philharmonia, Bristol Ensemble and other orchestras in the area.  Julie now freelances as an oboist, teacher, orchestral educator, choir leader and accompanist. She enjoys playing chamber music and her passion is creating music from scratch with groups of people. She can be found working with music in many varied settings from schools to care homes and prisons, and everything in between!  She is accompanist for Better Than Chocolate and Singaholics and is musical director for the RUH staff choir and Take 5 choir in Wiltshire. Julie lives in Bath with her husband and 2 children.

David Mackenzie (clarinet) is originally from Balloch, West Dunbartonshire. He studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and graduated from the University of Surrey, Guildford. Since relocating to the South West in 2002, he has been Principal Clarinet with Bath Philharmonia. As a freelance player he enjoys working with a variety of ensembles in the area which have recently included Bristol Gilbert & Sullivan Operatic Society & The Opera Project. He also finds time for chamber music and is a member of the Wessex Clarinet Quartet.

Born in Aberdeen, Martin Gatt (bassoon) studied with Archie Camden at the Royal College of Music and aged 21 became Principal Bassoonist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra where he stayed for 8 years. During the last 4 of these he also played Principal with the newly formed English Chamber Orchestra, and when that became a full time post he left the LPO and during the next 10 years devoted his time to playing for such conductors as Britten, Barenboim, and Leppard. During his years in the ECO he also played with The Academy of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields, became a founder member of the London Sinfonietta, and with Barry Tuckwell founded the Tuckwell Wind Quintet which performed around the world for the next 20 years.  In 1978 Martin was invited by the LSO to become their Principal bassoon, and there he stayed until 1998 when, looking for a quieter pace of life and a new and different challenge, he and his wife, Liz, moved to the West Country. Martin was Professor of Bassoon at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for 20 years and was awarded F.G.S.M in 1979 and elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Music in 2002. Martin has recorded most of the solo and chamber repertoire for EMI, Phillips, Decca and RCA and has performed as soloist world-wide. He has recorded acclaimed CDs, including the Poulenc and Francaix trios and the Damase Trio for oboe, horn and piano, sanctioned by Damase to be recorded on bassoon, with the Lynn Trio (Margaret Lynn – piano and Jane Finch – oboe).

Alistair Smith (horn) was born near Aberdeen, and studied horn at the Royal College of Music in London with Alan Civil and Douglas Moore. After working professionally for a few years in London as a freelance player, he moved to the West of England. He now regularly appears with professional orchestras and chamber groups in the region, as well as in his own right as a soloist, and has played both on television and radio. His other passion aside from music is running, having completed several marathons and countless half-marathons over the years. He also loves travelling and learning foreign languages, as well as mountaineering, walking, and reading.  Alistair lives with his wife in Somerset, where he enjoys entertaining his seven grandchildren.

Jacquelyn Bevan (piano) learned to play 'by ear' from a very young age, studying from age 13 with Caroline Diffley, and later with Dennis Dance at the Guildhall. She gained a Joint Hons Degree in Music & French from Bristol University and was Director/Head of Music for 5  years in secondary schools and sixth form colleges, followed by 15 years as a lecturer in Further and Higher Education, examiner and moderator for Access to Music.  In 1996 Jacquelyn became a full-time pianist and is in much demand as an accompanist, working with singers, solo instrumentalists and a wide variety of chamber ensembles. Jacquelyn is accompanist for South West Music School and the Mid-Somerset Festival, and is a founder member of Musicians South West CIC.  Married to Rupert, a professional tenor and member of the renowned Somerset Bevan family, which includes opera singers Sophie, Mary and Benjamin Bevan amongst its members, Jacquelyn has two children and lives in Radstock near Bath.