Tommy Sands has been touring with his son Fionan and daughter Moya. Friday, October 3rd, they played the final show of their Canadian East Coast tour in Halifax, at St Matthew's United Church.

There were not a lot of people, though Bev Lamb, host of CKDU's Touchstone Folk Music programme publicised it. The audience were about 40 people, most of whom knew who he was. A few people had even been at the 1975 event when the Sands Family came to Halifax.

This evening was a treat for both new and old. Saw a number of familiar faces. Bev, of course, he was there since he helped to get the people here.

Let The Circle Be Wide was the song which started the evening. He has never recorded it, and says it's going to be on a new recording he's working on! Thank goodness. It's about time!!! It's a perfect song to open a concert, or gathering a group of musicians for a jam session.

He also during the 2 hour show, with short intermission, 2.5 hrs all told, ran through some of the songs he wrote or was instrumental in making famous. Songs such as, Dunne Song, There Were Roses, Music of Healing. Some of them are old favourites and others fairly new.

He also told a few old stories, of life growing up and recent history. He even read out of his book a story about when he was in school in north Ireland. Amazing way he has with a story. You can "see" the images he conjures up with his method of telling the tale.

Also he brought his daughter and son with him. His son didn't sing, but played the small banjo-mandolin and a mandolin as well. His daughter was busy. Moya played at different times, fiddle, whistles, bodhran and had some shakers with her as well. Besides the instruments, she is an accomplished Irish dancer and a singer with a fantastic voice. She solo'd on a song her father wrote about a young lady who had contracted Leukemia from the atomic bombing in Japan about the 1000 paper cranes. Hopefully that song will be on the next recording from Tommy with her singing it.

Many of the songs had a theme of peace or co-operation as that is one of Tommy Sands' greatest hopes, that we'll get peace around the world and no one has to know first-hand the terrors of war.

At the end, for the encore, he reprised Let the Circle be Wide, with all of them singing. Together the family is still as musical as ever! May the Sands Family Tradition continue forever!!!