Biography
Mark Batten was born in Bristol in 1980. He was a pupil at Clifton College and whilst still at school studied at the Junior Organ Conservatoire of London with Ann-Elise Smoot. He subsequently studied at Birmingham Conservatoire where his principal teachers were David Saint, David Bruce-Payne and Douglas Hollick. Whilst at the Conservatoire Mark held the organ scholarships at St Chad's and St Philip's Cathedrals and was awarded the Conservatoire's Geoffrey Knowles award which enabled him to further his studies with David Briggs.
After graduating in 2003 with a BMus(Hons) degree and the John Campbell Keyboard Prize Mark spent a year as Assistant Organist at the Birmingham Oratory and supported by generous financial assistance from the Thalben-Ball memorial awards and the Michael James Music Trust was able to undertake postgraduate research for an MMus degree into questions of performance practice in 19th and 20th century French organ music. During this time he was a tutor for the diocese of Birmingham's Pipeline training scheme for young organists and taught on the Royal College of Organists' Play the Organ course.
Mark Batten is Organist at the church of St James the Greater in Leicester (a post separate from the Director of Music). In this capacity he is responsible for accompanying the well-known choir of men and boys with whom he has broadcast several times on BBC Radio. In addition to his work at St James the Greater Mark is much in demand as a teacher of organ and piano.
As a recitalist Mark has performed in recital series at Blackburn, Birmingham, Chichester, Coventry, Leicester and Sheffield Cathedrals, Bromley Parish Church, St Botolph's Parish Church Boston, St Mary Redcliffe Bristol, All Saints Leamington Spa, St Catherine's College Cambridge, The Oxford Town Hall, The Victoria Hall Hanley and the Old Royal Naval College Chapel in Greenwich. He also regularly performs concerts of repertoire for soprano and organ with the Birmingham based soprano Elizabeth Holland.
Mark is available as a soloist or accompanist for recitals, concerts, weddings or funerals and as a teacher of organ, piano and music theory.