Faith, Love, Hope for organ by Frederick Stocken have just been published by Banks. (NB this post first published in 2015.) These three short pieces already have a strong pre-publication story: I first heard them at St Lawrence Jewry, where Frederick gave their premiere – the Jewish connection was particularly appropriate as his next performance was in the small town of Bechhofen, Germany, at a recital for the unveiling of a memorial to the Jews of Bechhofen who perished in the Holocaust. There was a personal link here – Frederick’s grandmother was one of these Jews, and his mother only escaped in the most extraordinary circumstances*.
He says of the pieces:
Faith, Hope and Love are the so-called theological virtues. The changing of the traditional order to Faith, Love, Hope was because it made a more satisfying musical shape in my imagination, with Love as the reflective centre of the three movements. Before Love comes Faith, which is an exultant toccata-like piece with a motto theme in the pedals based on how the words ‘I believe’ might be sung. Hope comes as the climax of the three pieces with its urgent main motif dominating the movement. The whole work lasts about ten minutes, with each movement in the region of three minutes – I always intended that each of the pieces might be suitable for the liturgy on its own, or that all three together might make a satisfying recital group.
Frederick has recently been appointed Organist and Assistant Director of Music of St George’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Southwark, South London. While proof-reading Faith, Love, Hope he was also busy completing two new commissions for Chichester Cathedral – the first a setting of the Prayer of St Richard of Chichester to be premiered at the installation of the new Dean next month. More on Frederick’s other compositions here.
Full details of Faith, Love, Hope below: students on the RCO summer course this year (2015) should place their orders now – the pieces are on the list in the 21st Century study strand, along with Archangels, also published by Banks.
Faith, Love, Hope
Frederick Stocken
Banks Music Publications 14074
£4.95
direct link to Banks website here
All three pieces are on YouTube – here’s the first:
*Susi Bechhofer and her twin sister Lotte were evacuated on the Kindertransport as Germany fell into the grip of Nazism – adopted in Britain and given a new name and identity, Susi didn’t discover her true past for 50 years. Her life has been the subject of a BBC documentary, and a book, Rosa’s Child, by Jeremy Josephs.
