At the age of eleven, Stockley and her older sister Avryl formed a group, the Stockley Sisters. Later in her life, she moved to London to further pursue her musical career. There, she contributed vocals to several albums, and TV commercials. She sang some songs in African and had some African Instrumental songs in her albums.
During the late eighties and early nineties, Stockley worked as a session singer for the UK song writing and production trio; Stock, Aitken and Waterman. Stockley featured on tracks by the likes of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Sonia. Alongside fellow session singer Mae McKenna, Stockley is credited with being partly responsible for the distinctive Stock, Aitken and Waterman sound of the eighties.
Stockley provided backing vocals for the United Kingdom's Eurovision Song Contest entry on several occasions, most notably with Emma in 1990 and for Katrina and the Waves when they won in Dublin in 1997.
In 1991, Stockley became a part of the dance group Praise whose single "Only You" reached number two on the UK charts. Later, she was the vocalist for Adiemus with Karl Jenkins. In 1992 she performed as a backing vocalist at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, which was broadcast live to 1 billion people worldwide from the Old Wembley Stadium.
Stockley has been featured on several film soundtracks, including her cover of the Rose Royce song "Wishing on a Star", which appears on The 10th Kingdom soundtrack.
Currently, Miriam Stockley joins Richard Gannaway and Jay Oliver as a primary member of the world/new age group, AOMUSIC. She first appeared on their 2009 CD release, "Twirl", which included the song, "On Jai Ya "; composed as theme music for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. She, Gannaway and Oliver composed and produced AOMUSIC's 2011 album "...and Love Rages On". Her vocal technique on AOMUSIC albums is often reminiscent of the style and spirit in her first Adiemus album with Karl Jenkins, "Songs of Sanctuary".
Her song, "Perfect Day", was a theme song for a series of children's films called 'The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends' in 1997, based on the famed stories by Beatrix Potter. The song was written by Colin Towns. She has also appeared as a singer on several BBC school's programmes most notably Look and Read.
In February 2011 Arcturian Gate released the AO Music's third album ...and Love Rages on!, where Stockley's voice is joined by children's choral ensembles from Beijing, Tbilisi, Johannesburg, Asheville and Orlando (charted at No. 2 internationally and awarded Zone Music Reporter's "Best World Album of 2011"). With the release of "...and Love Rages on!", Miriam and AO Music aligned with HavServe under GlobalGiving to build sustainable villages for the children of Haiti who were displaced by an earthquake in 2010.[17] On 28 March 2011, she was invited to give a private performance for the Education Without Borders International conference in Dubai.
In March 2013 the AO Music group released Hokulea, which charted #3 internationally and sustained top 20 ranking (Zone Music Reporter) for five consecutive months. With the release of "Hokulea" AO Music officially established themselves as 100% non-profit through AO Foundation International, supporting several world organizations that attend to disadvantaged children. Stockley was also credited on the Hokulea co-producer.
Solo albums
Miriam Stockley (1979)
Miriam (1999)
Second Nature (2006)
Eternal (2007)
Band/ensemble albums
Adiemus I: Songs of Sanctuary (1995)
Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi (1996)
Adiemus III: Dances of Time (1998)
AO Music – Twirl (2009)
AO Music – ...and Love Rages On! (2011)
AO Music – Hokulea (2013)
AO Music – Asha (2017)
AO Music – Kutumba (2021)
Backing vocals and guest appearances
Hanoi Rocks – Back to Mystery City (1983; backing vocals on "Until I Get You")
Nik Kershaw – Radio Musicola (1986)
Roger Daltrey – Can't Wait to See the Movie (1987)
Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé – Barcelona (1988; backing vocals on "The Golden Boy")
Elaine Paige – The Queen Album (1988)
Alphaville – Romeos (1989)
Sonia – Can't Forget You (1989)
Brian May – Back to the Light (1992)
Eloy – The Tides Return Forever (1994; backing vocals on "Company of Angels")
Queen – Made in Heaven (1995)
Mike Oldfield – The Art in Heaven Concert (2000; backing vocals; lead vocal on "Moonlight Shadow")
Atlantis vs Avatar – "Fiji" (2000; lead vocals)
The Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack (2001; choir member)[5]
Queen: The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert DVD (2002)
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (video game, 2011)
Bonnie Tyler – Between the Earth and the Stars (2019)
Bonnie Tyler – The Best Is Yet to Come (2021)
Empty Space
Miriam Stockley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Innocent words that were softly spoken
Now I am lost in a world of broken dreams
A lonely place
Promises made and a love forsaken
No turning back on the road you've taken now
Seasons turning
A night in December
I'll always remember
Without a trace
Feeling the past slipping through my fingers
Here in my heart where the memory lingers on
Days of yearning
Seasons turning
A night in December
I'll always remember
The empty space
Miriam Stockley's "Empty Space" is a song about the pain of a broken relationship. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who has been left with nothing but an empty space in their heart. They are lost in a world of broken dreams, with only memories of promises made and a love forsaken.
The song explores the theme of longing and yearning for a lost love. It speaks to the pain of letting go of something that was once so special, and the struggle to come to terms with an emptiness that can never be filled. The lyrics suggest that even though time passes and seasons change, the memory of a lost love will always remain.
The use of the phrase "days of yearning, seasons turning" is particularly poignant, as it represents the cyclical nature of life and the way that time moves on, even when our hearts remain stuck in the past. The reference to a night in December adds to the melancholy mood of the song, evoking a sense of loneliness and coldness.
Line by Line Meaning
This empty space
The emptiness and void that exists after experiencing a loss or heartbreak.
Innocent words that were softly spoken
Words that were said lovingly and with sincerity that were not fulfilled.
Now I am lost in a world of broken dreams
The disappointment and grievance one feels after having their dreams shattered and unfulfilled.
A lonely place
The feeling of solitude that arises after loss or heartbreak.
Promises made and a love forsaken
Love and loyalty that were promised but ultimately not fulfilled, leading to heartbreak.
No turning back on the road you've taken now
The realization that the choices one has made have led to their current situation and there is no way to change the past.
Days of yearning
Longing for what was lost.
Seasons turning
The passage of time and how it affects one's emotional state.
A night in December
A particular moment or memory that stands out in one's mind as significant and impactful.
I'll always remember
A sense of nostalgia and never forgetting the past.
Without a trace
The feeling of losing something without any apparent reason or rationale.
Feeling the past slipping through my fingers
The loss and fading of memories and experiences over time, as if one cannot hold onto the past.
Here in my heart where the memory lingers on
The emotional impact that memories have on one's heart and how they stay with us long after the actual experience.
The empty space
The void that exists after experiencing loss or heartbreak.
Contributed by Jake Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.