Biography
Little is known about Batten’s formative period as a chorister in ecclesiastical surroundings, yet records confirm his participation as a vocalist at the obsequies of James I. All of his output served liturgical purposes, encompassing both complete services and individual anthems. Standout pieces such as “Hear the prayers, O our God,” “We Beseech thee,” and “O clap your hands” reveal his command of text illustration, his skill at shifting between single-voice and ensemble textures within a single work, and his assured handling of polyphonic textures. In his additional role as musical antiquarian, Adrian Batten safeguarded numerous sixteenth-century sacred compositions by assembling them in the manuscript known as the “Batten Organ Book.”