Adrian Batten

Who was Adrian Batten?

Adrian Batten was an English organist and Anglican church composer. He was active during an important period of English church music, between the Reformation and the Civil War in the 1640s. During this period the liturgical music of the first generations of Anglicans began to diverge significantly from music on the continent. Among the genres developed during this period by Batten and other Anglican composers was the 'verse anthem', in which sections alternate between the full choir and soloists, underlain and unified by an independent organ accompaniment.

Batten was born in Salisbury, and was a chorister and later an organ scholar at nearby Winchester Cathedral. He studied the organ under John Holmes. Batten remained with the cathedral choir after his voice had changed, as evidenced by graffiti carved into the wall of Bishop Gardiner's chantry that reads "Adrian Battin: 1608". In 1614, Batten moved to London to become a Vicar Choral of Westminster Abbey, and was apparently still at Westminster in 1625; The Lord Chamberlain's Records for 1625 show that at the funeral of James I Batten is described as a "singingman of Westminster". In 1626, Batten became a Vicar Choral of the cathedral choir at St. Paul's Cathedral, and also played the organ there. As far as is known, he stayed at this position until his death. Letters of administration for the disposal of his estate were granted to John Gilbert of Salisbury on 22 July 1637, so it can be inferred that he died during the middle of that year at the age of approximately 46.