Three young tenors to perform Saturday in Camden

No doubt you have heard of Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti – and the concert they sang together to celebrate the World Cup contest in Rome in 1990. As a group, they changed – shall we say? – the tenor of opera forever. That concert and subsequent ones together have brought opera to masses of people, either in stadiums or on TV, and the three distinguished musicians started the phenomenon of “the three tenors” singing both opera and popular music in a friendly, accessible setting.

This Saturday, with “3 Tenors: The Battle of the High C’s,” Maine Grand Opera Company offers its own lineup in a benefit concert featuring Fennell, Atlas and Bernard. That’s Eric Fennell, Ravil Atlas and John Bernard – indeed, three young tenors whose talent for singing is matched only by their delight in entertaining audiences through opera and musical theater.

“When I was growing up, I became addicted to musical theater,” said Bernard, a graduate of Boston Conservatory and a professional singer who recently relocated from his native Pennsylvania to the New York City area. “This is going to be a fun concert because if you get three tenors onstage, there’s some competitiveness. It’s a healthy competitiveness, but it also adds something exciting as well.”

Of the three guest artists, Bernard is the only one who hasn’t spent time in Maine in the past. Both Atlas and Fennell appeared in last year’s benefit gala at the Camden Opera House. In fact, Atlas offered a version of “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s “Turandot” that caused a wild standing “O” and bravos from every corner of the hall. By request, he will repeat the piece on Saturday.

As with his co-singers, Atlas has a repertoire that features both operatic roles and musical theater roles. A crossover concert such as the one this weekend inspires the singers, whose voices range from light to heavy, to flex their vocal muscles in a variety of directions, and inevitably the result is a less formal, though no less sophisticated, flow of skill. Another musician will share the stage with the three men, but none of them wanted to spoil the surprise by revealing the identity of the fourth guest artist. The point, they each insisted, was to have a fun night of music.

“These types of concerts allow us to let our hair down and be entertainers,” said Atlas, who is preparing for the lead role in Puccini’s “Edgar” in Barcelona, Spain, later this fall.

“It’s a fun experience for us,” added Fennell, who will sing in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony later this year in Tokyo. “There will be lots and lots of high notes, because we all love to sing them. But this is not a high-pressure situation. We’ll sing serious pieces, but we’ll also make fun of ourselves.”

Since most operas are performed in larger venues, appearing at a place as small as Camden brings the singers back to their roots.

“Opera is about singing for people, and when you go to small cities, you get up in their faces,” said Atlas. “It’s more personal and intimate. It’s so much fun to come to Camden that I told Karen Eisenhauer [MGO artistic director] that anytime you want me to come up there, just call.”

Bernard, who only knows of the warmth of Maine audiences and beauty of the landscape through others, said he couldn’t wait to arrive in Camden. And, then – already falling into the good spirits of the upcoming event – added: “I am hoping to see a couple of moose. Or is it meese?”

The Maine Grand Opera Company will present a benefit concert 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Camden Opera House. For information or reservations, call 230-1200.