Margaret Miller

 

Margaret's chosen object was a ceramic pair of horses brought back by her seafaring father as a gift for her mother. It had originally been inlaid with a clock-face, but this has now been replaced by a picture of her parents. Margaret recalled how her mother would sing a popular lullaby to her and her siblings, and regrets the demise of this tradition down the later generations of her own family. The missing clock-face, coupled with the faded photograph of her parents, evokes the passing of time. A specially formed choir of Year 7 pupils from the North Liverpool Academy learned, recorded and performed the lullaby Toora Loora for Margaret, reviving the memory and tradition.

 

 

 



 

Return to selection page
Return to selection page
Return to selection page
Return to selection page
Return to selection page
Return to selection page

 

 

Verse 1
Over In Killarney,
Many years ago,
My Mother sang a song to me
In tones so sweet and low;
Just a simple little ditty,
In her good old Irish way,
And I'•d give the world to hear her sing
That song of hers today.

Chorus
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Hush now don'•t you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, That'•s an Irish lul-la-by

 

 

 

 

 

Verse 2
Oft in dreams I wander
To that cot again.
I feel her arms a-hugging me
As when she held me then,
And I hear her voice a-humming
To me as in days of yore,
When she used to rock me fast asleep
Outside the bedroom door.

Repeat chorus
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Hush now don'•t you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, That'•s an Irish lul-la-by

 

Verse 3
Oh, I can hear that music,
I can hear that song
Filling me with memories
Of a mother's love so strong.
Its melody still haunts me
These many years gone by,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral
Until the day I die.

  Click on a slide show image to return to the Introduction page