The Irish Tenors, a jovial trio with generous capabilities, delivered an evening of vocal freshness and consummate showmanship at Wolf Trap on Sunday night. Whether it was rollicking folk songs or unapologetically sentimental anthems, the near-capacity crowd embraced song after song from the traditional Irish canon.

The current tenors, Finbar Wright, Ronan Tynan and Anthony Kearns, began touring together in 2000 and were quickly embraced by media giants and general audiences. They have cultivated a familiar formula that seems to guarantee success: easily digestible traditional and pop songs (they performed a bloated version of Elvis's "Love Me Tender" and a pleasing "America the Beautiful") with a full orchestra, making for a feel-good set infused with wholesome jokes and palling around.

The tenors, all classically trained vocalists, are accessible performers, often acting like playful siblings or old friends sharing an inside joke onstage. The quirky sense of humor can function as a nice relief from the melodramatic edge to some of the songs.

During Sunday's program, the tenors sang many favorites, including "Maggie," "Spanish Lady" and "Last Rose of Summer." The polished "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears" showcased the vocal range of all three, employing a gentle melancholy and a powerful resoluteness. And not surprisingly, the tenors ended the evening with an encore of their eagerly awaited trademark, "Danny Boy."

Tynan was the standout. Flexing his throaty tenor to illuminate a wide range of emotions, he breathed life into the oppressively humid summer night.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company