I have decided to create a little online TV Channel called “Music of What Happens”.

The name I explain on this first offering. But it’s not only me you will be seeing, (you’ll be relieved to hear) but many great people I have the honour of knowing and admiring, musically, poetically, neighbourly, craicfully and all sorts of other ways.

"Growing Relations", a series of films highlighting Community Peace Initiatives in the area of Newry, Mourne and Down Funded by PEACE IV and Produced by Tommy Sands for MWHTV and Northern Visions TV.

Border Crossings; A deceptively simple stand jump, In the broad daylight or a simply deceptive journey in the dead dark of night. Comparisons and companionships…

The stars at night were the only roadmap available to East European poet Csilla Toldy, when she sought to cross a cold war, iron hard border on her way to County Down. When she meets singer Fil Campbell, Co Fermanagh, who had a softer border in her back garden to negotiate, (a disputed sheugh), there would be much to think, sing, speak and laugh about.

Tommy Sands joins them both behind a hedge, where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea on the edge of another border, Carlingford Lough.

The Music of What happens, it happens every day,
Every beat of a heart is a part that we play.
Every love that is found that is lost for a word
There’s the sweetest music in the world.

Tommy Sands ‘Walks the Talk’ with Kilbroney Ramblers and writes the song as they break down the barriers, build up the bridges and doing what they love to do anyway…walk and talk together.”

“Make sure your foot has the right kind of boot,
But what foot you dig with, we could not give a hoot,
Diversity is precious, there’s so much to learn
Just walking and talking together”.

TS Kilbroney Ramblers

Rostrevor Literary Festival...

Moments from first 3 years. 2017-2019 Good Friends and Relations...a song and story of it. Covid19 has twenty twentied us, so far away from each other at a time when we needed and were needed by each other. As nature longed for the warm embrace and human touch it was social distancing that would become the only available gesture of reachable love and nearness. A time of sadness when truth was too often used as a plaything by empty needy leaderships demanding 24/7 attention as a reward for sowing division amongst ordinary people.

We missed the wandering poet too, calling with a story of truth or a song of hope to exchange the lifting of hearts. And so, with this in mind we return to The Rostrevor Literary festival where art is seen to be, not a luxury but a necessary helping eye to view life in a way that is lesser seen and handier to navigate. This is the third episode in the “Growing Relations” series of animations supported by the European PEACE V project managed by the SEUPP and managed by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

This is the second half of a programme highlighting the inspiration generated by the Rostrevor Literary Festival from 2018, seen now for the first time. It features contributions from musician and poet, John Sheahan of the Dubliners, Journalist and writer Lauren Booth, Founder of 'Children in Crossfire' Richard Moore, Journalist and writer Henry McDonald as well as Skyler Jett, Grammy Awardee and songwriter. 

Place names and architecture give an indication of a place with rich diversity. An area of wild beauty that has attracted much coming and going down the centuries ... and much coming back, as well. Names like Killowen (Cill Abhainn), the church by the river... flowing a long time. The Vikings came in their 'lang' boats and gave us the word 'strang' for the strong currents in the 'fiord'. There's Plantation Street and historic links with Scotland. There's a sense of many places and people from all over...some came for adventure long ago, some fleeing persecution, some seeking work, some creating work. Their people are still here and I am looking forward to meeting them. Part 1 includes Shirley Lennon, Elizabeth Crilly, Jim Lindsay, Joanna Martin, Conal Montgomery, Tracy Longmans, Clive Scoular and Leo Casement.

This is Part 2 of "Killyleagh and Shirley" (People, Potential and Prosperity) a project supported by European PEACE IV... as part of "Growing Relations" series documentary filmed by Tommy Sands.

Participants includes Alfie Murray, Bertie Murphy, Orla Cairns, Leo Casement, Elizabeth Crilly, Nathaniel Crawford and Kath Dougherty.

The story of how a PEACE IV Project brought a new community to an old school. We explore the journey of Moneydarragh in the heart of the Mournes from a hedge school in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds to a school building in the eighteens and nineteens to a hub in the twenty ones all in pursuit of a good education. "There is much to be revealed in hedges Such a hiding out of sight Edging past the fields and laneways Leaning out towards the light..." Tommy Sands.

Continuing the journey of Moneydarragh in the heart of the Mournes from a hedge school in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds, a school building in the eighteens and nineteens to a hub in the twenty ones all in pursuit of a good education. "There is much to be revealed in hedges Such a hiding out of sight Edging past the fields and laneways Leaning out towards the light..." Tommy Sands.

Historically, tensions between 'the big house' and the ordinary people have existed in every society but Gillian Campbell and the ladies of Strangford Community Association Creative Collective., having been denied by Covid a safe space in the Village, found Castleward a very welcome partner. And so began "A collage of Cooperation" with each learning from the other and enjoying a sense of mutual belonging in both places.

'Welcome to Newry, gateway to beauty, 
Where the Mourne Mountains wave 
To Slieve Gullion proud and brave. 
Welcome to Newry ... '

And to where the river and waterways which join us and part us has inspired the town, the port and the city to what and where it is today. James McAreavey and the Newry Maritime Association brings us on a journey to South Armagh where we meet historian Kevin Murphy and hear of the ill- fated ship the 'Hanna' and back again to Newry and Bessbrook where we discover the long unmarked grave of a war hero and see it marked, for all time.

Damolly is a small village on the inner outskirts of Newry with a talented enthusiastic Football Club called Damolly FC. Joanne Patterson, a driving force in the club sees not only the value of competition but also comradeship and friendship within the clubs and between the clubs as well. The Football 4 All tournament brings together hundreds of young people from all genders and backgrounds for mighty celebration of sport and togetherness.

In Northern Ireland/The North, the experience of our history has divided us in so many different ways. Declan McCann and Dromara Gaelic football club both from a sporting and social point of view see the visions and strengths that exist in our diversities. Gaelic football for long associated with the Nationalist Community has much to teach and much to learn from the skills of other sports and neighbouring cultures and in reaching out they found a very willing and precious mutual respect. Dromara Sport 4 All are all winners.

Welcome to the Movies! But one which shines a light well beyond the silver screen and out from within the cinema of the community. "Guardians of the flame", a treasured film produced by Jonny Clark features three extraordinary people, Alan McBride, Beryl Quigley and Eugene Reavey, who have suffered more than most out of our troubled past. Beryl was not able to be with us for our visits to Newcastle and Newry but Eugene and Alan step out in front of the screen to converse issues, and despite their own long deep pain of loss inspire the audience with their wise words and a smile of powerful beautiful memories for the future. 

Artsawonder and An Cuan, two Rostrevor non-profit Community groups with a mind for creating positive relationships, believe that it is never too early for people of difference to get to know and learn from each other and never too late to begin all over again.. With Sorcha Turnbull in the lead, children and their parents from Immigrant families and the locality play, paint, walk and dance in each other's company in this very pioneering Summer camp with a difference.