Stabat Mater, an extended choral work by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736), is an annual tradition. It was introduced to Far Brook in 1964 by the School's Music Director Emeritus, the late Edwin Finckel, who chose this “hauntingly beautiful” work for its “purity of sound, which is achieved with young people's voices.” It is performed each spring by older students in a formal concert setting, accompanied by a professional string chamber ensemble.

Because of the variety of styles and the relative brevity of each movement, students find the work fascinating, and, at the same time, attainable. The work is made up of 13 movements, some of which are performed by the chorus of Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Graders; faculty members; and alumnae; and others by student soloists and small vocal ensembles. Stabat Mater is a cherished event in the lives of many alumni who come to enjoy the presentation, and it draws alumnae back each year to take part in singing the work.