Composer and Organist
Organist, Musicologist, Teacher
Frederick Stocken is a widely performed and commissioned composer, probably best known for his organ and choral music, including such works as Archangels and Faith Love Hope for organ. Other music includes two symphonies (the First Symphony was commissioned for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), a commissioned ballet Alice, his Violin Concerto, and the chart-topping Lament for Bosnia for string orchestra.
Frederick is Organist of St George’s Cathedral, Southwark in London, teaches at the Royal Academy of Music and for the Royal College of Organists. He is also well known through tutors such as Scale Shapes and The New Oxford Organ Method.
Teaching & Presenting
American Guild of Organists, National Conference in Seattle 2022:
Frederick and Anne Marsden Thomas giving two workshops on their teaching methods
Thursday 18 November 2021, Leeds Organists Association
Online presentation with Anne Marsden Thomas on Frederick and Anne's New Oxford Organ Method , released in 2020
Tuesday 9 November and Tuesday 23 November 2021, 20.00
Two online webinars for the RCO on Continuo Realisation for FRCO
Mondays in November 2021, 1800:
Online keyboard classes taught by Anne Marsden Thomas and Frederick using their Graded Keyboard Musicianship (OUP)
Saturday 23 October 2021, 10.30 St Matthew's Reading:
Organ class for the Newbury & District Organists Association
Peformances
Sunday 5 March 2023, Mass at St Stephen's, Lewisham:
The Newman Mass
Choir of St Stephen's, Lewisham, cond. David Knight
Thursday 15 December 2022, 7.30pm, Carol Service, St George's Cathedral, Southwark, London
Carol of the Annunciation
Choir of St George's Cathedral, cond. Jonathan Schranz
Wednesday 1 February 2023, 4pm, BBC broadcast of choral evensong from Pembroke College, Cambridge:
St Michael from Archangels
Joe Beadle (organ)
Sunday 24 September 2022, 2pm, St George's Hanover Square, London:
Gieb Fried o frommer treuer Gott
Tom Bell (organ)
Sunday 29 January 2023, 2.30pm, King's College, Cambridge:
Archangels
Paul Greally (organ)
Friday 17 June 2022, Evensong, King's College, Cambridge:
St Michael from Archangels
Paul Greally (organ).
Peformances
Sunday 5 March 2023, Mass at St Stephen's, Lewisham:
The Newman Mass
Choir of St Stephen's, Lewisham, cond. David Knight
Thursday 15 December 2022, 7.30pm, Carol Service, St George's Cathedral, Southwark, London
Carol of the Annunciation
Choir of St George's Cathedral, cond. Jonathan Schranz
Wednesday 1 February 2023, 4pm, BBC broadcast of choral evensong from Pembroke College, Cambridge:
St Michael from Archangels
Joe Beadle (organ)
Sunday 24 September 2022, 2pm, St George's Hanover Square, London:
Gieb Fried o frommer treuer Gott
Tom Bell (organ)
Sunday 29 January 2023, 2.30pm, King's College, Cambridge:
Archangels
Paul Greally (organ)
Friday 17 June 2022, Evensong, King's College, Cambridge:
St Michael from Archangels
Paul Greally (organ).
Mysterium Fidei
Frederick plays his latest organ work in the Organ Recital Series at St. John's Smith Square, London
Mysterium Fidei (The Mystery of Faith) for organ, was played by Frederick in a recital at St John’s, Smith Square in February 2020. The subtitle of the work is ‘A journey towards faith’, and the music depicts a pilgrimage from doubt towards belief. The six sections are called: Restless Spirit; Intimations; Searching; Prayer; Awakening; Faith. The premiere was given by Frederick last year at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, and the UK premiere at Chichester Cathedral last November was also played by Frederick. In October 2020 Frederick also played Mysterium Fidei in an online recital at St Michael's Cornhill, which is still on Youtube.
Scale Shapes Reaches 3rd Edition
Grades 1-5 updated for the new syllabus which started in 2020
You can buy copies of this popular diagrammatic method for learning scales at:
The Newman Mass
New setting of the mass for St. George's Cathedral
The Newman Mass is a new setting of the Mass written to be sung by both the choir and congregation of St George’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Southwark. Its title commemorates the recent canonization of John Henry Newman in 2019.
The Music of Frederick Stocken
Orchestral Works
Two Symphonies, Violin Concerto, Lament for Bosnia
Frederick’s first work for full orchestra was his Violin Concerto, which was written for Adam Summerhayes, and he performed it with the Surrey Sinfonietta, conducted by Jonathan Butcher, at St John’s Smith Square. The premiere of Frederick’s First Symphony (Symphony for the Millennium) was conducted by Vernon Handley with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall and broadcast on Classic FM. His Second Symphony was premiered by the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Blair, at St John’s Smith Square. Lament for Bosnia, for string orchestra, was commissioned by Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, and it was top of the classical charts in Tower Records for several weeks. It has had numerous performances and broadcasts since its premiere at the Barbican; conductors of it include John Lubbock and Charles Hazlewood. Frederick conducted it himself with the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra, and with the Strings of the Royal Academy of Music at the opening of the Imperial War Museum's permanent Holocaust exhibition.
"At last a young English composer has chosen to write accessible, beautiful music which is unashamedly passionate and melodic."
A. N. Wilson writing about Frederick's Lament for Bosnia in The Evening Standard.
"Stocken's work will also prove popular with players for he has written very much a showpiece for the violin."
Paul Cutts reviewing Violin Concerto in The Strad.
Ballet
Alice - a major commission from Germany
Frederick was commissioned by the Stadttheater in Giessen, Germany, to write a 45-minute orchestral ballet based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice through the Looking Glass to commemorate 100 years since Carroll’s death.
It received ten initial performances with Herbert Gietzen conducting, and the choreographer was Roberto Galván.
"Frederick Stocken has written a surprisingly melodic score specially for this entertaining spectacle, reminiscent of the late romantics." Thomas Schmitz-Albohn reviewing Alice in Giessener Anzeiger (translated).
"Stocken has managed to create something like a 'symphony of the city' that is relevant for our time, which make you feel breathless but sometimes invites you to rest." Guntram Lenz reviewing Alice in Wetzlauer Neue Zeitung (translated).
Latest Track
Frederick Stocken
Further information about Dr Frederick Stocken as organist, musicologist, and teacher.
Organist
Organist of St. George's Metropolitan Cathedral, Southwark, London
Frederick has been Organist of St George’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Southwark since 2014 where he plays for a range of Roman Catholic liturgies and accompanies the cathedral choirs, which are directed by Jonathan Schranz. He is a convert to Catholicism, and this has been influential on his work as a composer.
A prize-winning Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, Frederick gives occasional organ recitals as his composing allows, including some in prestigious venues and recital series, from King’s College Cambridge to St John’s Smith Square. He has recorded two CDs with St George’s choir on the Priory and Regent labels and played the organ for various broadcasts from St George's on BBC television and radio.
Watch the latest video on Youtube
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