IPSWICH — In his experience as a singer/songwriter from Northern Ireland, Tommy Sands believes music has the power to "bring people from both sides of the divide together."

Sands will bring his music to Ipswich tonight for a benefit concert for the House of Peace.

Billed as an event to celebrate the music of healing, the concert will also feature Sands' children Moya and Fionan, who will accompany him on fiddle, vocals, mandolin, banjo and more.

"It will be good fun," Sands said of the concert. "It will be a few songs and a few yards people never heard before, and I think they'll be going out better than when they came in — and I think that's a good reason to go out."

Run by John and Carrie Schuchardt, the House of Peace in Ipswich has provided shelter to refugees and victims of war since 1990.

The concert will benefit children brought to the House of Peace through the Iraqi Children's Project, which provides medical treatment for burned and wounded children from Iraq at Shriners and other Boston hospitals.

Local musicians Dean Stevens, a Central-American activist, Mary Kate Small of Merrimack Valley People for Peace, and Pat Scanlon, songwriter and leader of Veterans for Peace, will join the program.

The evening is sponsored by Branches of Peace of First Church in Ipswich, Merrimack Valley People for Peace, Veterans for Peace, The North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice and The House of Peace.

Sands lives in the small village of Rostrevor in County Down, Northern Ireland. He also wrote a book, titled "The Songman."

He is on a U.S. tour and will stop at the Lincoln Center in New York on Saturday. The Salem News caught up with him by telephone earlier this week, when he was in Milwaukee, to learn about his love of music and commitment to peace.

What's the origin of your interest in music?

My parents played music. I lived on a small farm and there was always music in my house. I grew up singing traditional songs.

When did you begin performing and writing music?

I played with my family; we made a record back in 1968. Since that time, I've been writing songs, not only about what's happening around home but in a broader context also.

When did you become an activist?

I never set out, to be honest, to be a political songwriter or activist, but it's difficult to avoid if you live in a place where people are getting killed.

Are there misconceptions about your homeland, Northern Ireland?

A lot, because I think people depend on television. When a TV man says, "Here's the news," it's a few explosions we could find. It's action and moving pictures, which is what makes good TV and attracts advertisers.

What do you see in your homeland?

There's a lot of very good things going on on the ground. There still are some problems, but peace is like a little baby that will slip and fall many times before it learns to walk, but there are enough hands to make sure it will dance one of these days.

Can music make a difference?

Often, people ask, "Can a song change anything?" Just like a book or an article or a painting, I think everything changes things. Even a nod of the head can change things.

You played at Pete Seeger's 90th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden in May. Has he been an inspiration to you?

I admire him tremendously. I've known him 25 or 30 years. "The Music of Healing" is a song written by myself and Pete Seeger. He's a major American influence and an important American patriot.

How does he inspire you?

I noticed Pete has the ability to influence people all over the world, not with a gun or a bomb, but with a song and a banjo. I've played at refugee camps in Bethlehem and Ramallah, on kibbutz in Israel, in Cuba and India, and I find Pete's songs being sung by everyone. His songs have leaked into places Coca Cola hasn't leaked into.

How often do you tour?

I would say I'm on the road four months in the year.

What do you like about it?

Sometimes I get tired traveling, but one is always energized at night when you play and you meet people and hear some of the stories they have to tell. That catapults you onto the next gig.

Have you been to Ipswich before?

Yes, I was doing a tour with Vedran Smajlovic, the "Cellist of Sarajevo." We played and were actually hosted by the House of Peace. That was maybe 12 years ago.

Why did you want to play a benefit for the House of Peace?

I admire the work they've been doing through the years ... It's very important.

Why?

It's easy to just simply call a war and say, 'Everything over there is bad, and everything here is good.' Usually in wars, it's not the people who give the orders who suffer: it's innocent people. I think it's very important for a group of people to reach out to the other side and give whatever help we can to people who are hopeless and have nowhere else to turn sometimes.

Something special about tonight's concert?

(The audience) will get aspects of Irish life they probably haven't seen or heard before.

Benefit concert for the House of Peace

Who: Performance by Singer/Songwriter Tommy Sands from Northern Ireland

When: Today at 7:30 p.m.

Where: First Church in Ipswich, UCC, Meetinghouse Green, Route 1A

Cost: Suggested donation of $15; seniors and students $10; children under 12 free

Benefits: The House of Peace and their work with The Iraqi Children's Project

Information: Call 978-356-9395 or e-mail thehouseofpeace@yahoo.com