By Michael Tumelty COMPOSER Gareth Williams is a remarkable character, perhaps even a one-off. Technically, he's still a student.

By Chitra Ramaswamy Jane Irwin and Kate Valentine tell Chitra Ramaswamy why playing The Two Widows in Scottish Opera's new show fills their hearts with joy THERE can't be many who have sung the leads in Czech composer Bedrich Smetana's The Two Widows who have a relationship as significant as soprano Kate Valentine and mezzo Jane Irwin.

By Susan Mansfield WE DEBATED for days about the best place to meet Kate Valentine and Jane Irwin, the two female leads in Scottish Opera's The Two Widows.

By Tim Cornwell WHEN Welsh singing diva Katherine Jenkins replaced the traditional 20-stone heroine and G4 stormed the charts, suddenly opera seemed sexy. Now it appears opera is the new rock and roll - with tickets sales to younger audiences in Scotland up sevenfold this season.