Tommy Sands with Moya & Fionan, Let The Circle Be Wide (Appleseed recordings, 2009)
Tommy Sands is a legendary singer-songwriter and peace activist who needs no introduction. From the ground-breaking tours made by the Sands Family, he was at the forefront of the folk revival stretching back to the 60s. Now he tours with his son Fionan and daughter Moya.
This is the latest album featuring them as a trio. All of the songs on this album, except 'A Stor Mo Chrol' (Brian O'Higgins) are written by Tommy Sands. Most touch on the plea for peace in Ireland, and are written around the peace process with views taken by the ordinary people, and/or Irish craic. All have a delightful Irish feel about them, some with emotive lyrics, as you would expect. Tommy Sands takes nearly all the lead vocals and plays acoustic guitar, whistles, 5-string banjo and dotara. Moya Sands plays fiddle, bodhran, whistles and vocals. Fionan Sands adds banjo, mandolin, and backing vocals. Moya takes lead vocal on 'A Stor Mo Chrol' providing the album with just that bit of light and shade necessary to make it entertaining, in fact for me it is one of the highlights on the album.
As if in complete contrast at track 8 is 'Rovers of Wonder' a strange song inspired by a chance meeting on the streets of Paris when Tommy heard a group of Mongolian throat-singers busking. He was fascinated by how similar their melodies were to some of the Irish. The song is the result of the coming together of the two.
I have to single out 2 songs for extra mention as being the best on the album. The first is the song 'It's Time for Asking Why' which parallels the feeling in most people when you saw on your TV the horror of murder and burnings in Northern Ireland and 9/11 in New York. Why was it all necessary? The other is the final song 'Let The Circle Be Wide' which is Tommy's song of welcome and love for fellow man all round the world.
So there you have it, a nice 'very Irish' album from a senior songwriter of note. Tommy Sands has a website here. You can buy the album on-line.
