Johnson Preserv’d

The opera is set in Streatham (south London) in 1784 and reimagines one final meeting of Samuel Johnson’s famous social circle. The plot revolves around a tale of misunderstanding, when Johnson’s great friend James Boswell mistakenly thinks that Dr Johnson wants to marry Mrs Thrale and so, with the aid of her maid Polly (the opera’s only fictitious character), plans to prevent the marriage. In fact, Mrs Thrale has accepted the hand of her Italian singing-master, Signor Piozzi, but when Johnson realises Boswell’s plan, he tells him he clearly does not know him at all, and, to Boswell’s great distress, that he is no longer his friend. But worry not: all ends happily!

Richard Stoker’s musical style is melodic and extremely accessible, with a distinctive musical voice, and during the recording sessions we were struck by its beauty and how charmingly it was performed by our wonderful soloists and chamber orchestra.

Richard Stoker (1938-2021)

Richard Stoker was born in Castleford, Yorkshire, on 8 November 1938. There was a strong musical tradition in his family, and he showed an early aptitude, intrigued by the piano keyboard as soon as he was tall enough to reach it. He had piano lessons with an uncle, and started to compose at the age of seven.

At 15 he went to Huddersfield Technical College, studying with Harold Truscott and Winifred Smith. The composer Eric Fenby encouraged him to go to London, and he entered the Royal Academy of Music in 1958 to study with Lennox Berkeley. Richard said that Berkeley taught him to be himself, to develop his ideas, to write economically and to analyse the masters; Michael Berkeley says that his father was enormously fond of Richard, and of ‘the mix of innocence and curiosity which made both him and his music so idiosyncratic’.

Richard won several prizes at the RAM, culminating in the Mendelssohn Scholarship, which took him to Paris in 1962 to study with Nadia Boulanger. Returning to London in 1963, he was offered a teaching post at the RAM, and taught there as Professor of Composition for over 20 years. Many of his former students have spoken with gratitude and appreciation of his sensitive and generous guidance.

Richard wrote many works, including an opera, Johnson Preserv’d, a piano concerto, string quartets, piano trios, song cycles, choral works, orchestral works and organ music. He also wrote for films, TV and theatre productions. His style is modern but accessible, full of his optimistic, joie de vivre personality. To quote a long-term organist friend, Richard Townend: ‘His soft voice and lilting Yorkshire accent are reflected in his music which, while modern, is full of rich melodic invention without any harsh dissonances.’

Richard edited Composer magazine from 1969 to 1980. He wrote entries on eight musicians for the Oxford DNB, published poetry and prose fiction, and an autobiography, Open Window – Open Door (1985). He also produced a number of artworks, some of which appear as cover designs on his CDs.  In later years he enjoyed acting in films and TV – he appeared in over 100 productions, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Dark Shadows, Maleficent, Hercules (as body double for John Hurt), Last Christmas and MotherFatherSon.

(With thanks to the Richard Stoker Trust for permission to reproduce this text from their website, https://richardstokertrust.org/)

Richard died in 2021 and the Richard Stoker Trust was set up the following year to promote his music, and to safeguard the archive of his music, artworks and other items.