Soap stars Claire Sweeney and Martine McCutcheon will join opera star Bryn Terfel at an outdoor summer concert in his north Wales backyard.

The pair will reportedly be at Terfel's own Faenol Festival in August, following the release of former Brookside actress Sweeney's debut album.

American soprano Ren�e Fleming will also be at the picturesque country estate near Bangor to perform songs from musicals, while Sweeney replaces star Ruthie Henshall due to a schedule change.

Sweeney impressed audiences on Big Brother

The award-winning three-night event, in its third year, is a charity fundraiser for the Ty Gobaith hospice appeal for north Wales.

Terfel - one of the world's leading operatic baritones - is from nearby Pantglas, Gwynedd.

He arranged the festival in 2000 to give something back to his community. The Duchess of Westminster is now a patron.

More than 20 live rock, soul, show, solo and choir acts from Wales and Merseyside are on the line-up for this year's show.

Bubbly soap star

For McCutcheon, it is familiar territory, having starred in My Fair Lady on the West End for eight months before persistent throat problems forced her to step down.

Many believe the former EastEnder made a successful transition from Albert Square to the stage, however.

Bryn Terfel's concert is in its third year

For bubbly Sweeney, 31, who this week lit up the London premi�re of Andrew Lloyd-Webber's new Bombay Dreams musical, it is another story.

She found fans during her stay in the Celebrity Big Brother House and on Stars In Their Eyes.

But her West End debut, the lead in Chicago last year, drew a mixed response in reviews.

She now has a three-album recording contract and is due to release a cover of Brian May track Too Much Love Will Kill You in July, before her first collection comes out.

A mix of 15 ballads and show tunes called simply Claire, 15 July is understood to be the release date.

That means the Faenol Festival comes during her crucial promotion push and Sweeney will be keen to woo fans of the classics.

Classic songs

Songs at the intimate, close-knit Faenol Festival will include those from My Fair Lady, Les Miserables, Chicago and Miss Saigon.

Acclaimed Fleming and Terfel are due to record an album together in advance of the show.

And the Welshman expressed sympathy with McCutcheon's decision to quit her gruelling West End run.

"Any singer can suffer those problems, as I discovered last year on the last night of the Faenol Festival when I had laryngitis," he said recently.

According to reports, Cerys Matthews was due to grace this years stage, but was forced to pull out; she hopes to make an appearance in 2003.

Devised as a way to bring singing stars to his home county of Gwynedd, Terfel's show recently won the Greatest Show in Wales title at the 2002 Wales Tourism Awards.

Faenol Festival is held at the Faenol Estate, Gwynedd, from 23 to 25 August.