Andrew Batterham - musician

Testimonials and Reviews

I have worked with Andrew on a number of narrative and corporate film projects
and am a great admirer of his musical compositions. His unique talent never fails to move me, he seemingly has the ability to cross into all genres with equal effect, and most particularly he has the wonderful abiltiy to create genuinely poignant melodies. He is also an intelligent composer who can respond to a brief while still remaining adaptable.

Bruce Grantford - Apricot Productions

Andrew Batterham has added ingenious sparkle to many original songs
and soundscapes for productions at our school. He is at home in any style and his arrangements were always full of surprises.

Joachim Matschoss - School Head of Performing Arts
Caulfield Grammar School, Melbourne

The Batterham is more cerebral in quality, but is noteworthy
for its tight structural sense and detailed dynamic and textural contrasts.

Organ Historical Trust of Australia review - Suite for trumpet and organ
Journey: Australian Contemporary Trumpet and Pipe Organ Music

Over the years Andrew has done numerous arrangements for various ensembles at Caulfield Grammar School. We commissioned Andrew to write a celebratory overture to take on our Symphonic Band's inaugural European Tour in 2006. I met with Andrew and discussed the levels of the individual players within the band and asked Andrew to tailor the composition accordingly. The result was Vanguard, a work that perfectly fitted the brief and after premiering the work in Melbourne before our departure, we then performed the European premier of the work at the Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester), for contemporary Wind Orchestra music champion, Timothy Reynish. Where words could fail through the language barrier in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland, Vanguard beautifully summed up our Symphonic Band and the band's first European tour by providing a jubilant and triumphant heralding at the opening of each of our concerts.

Simon Brown - Musical Director, Symphonic Band
Caulfield Grammar School, Melbourne

As Artistic Director of the Southern Grampians Promenade of Sacred Music
I commissioned two works from Andrew: Gariwerd in 2006 and Weaving Hochkirk in 2007. Both works were finished on time, beautifully written and
delighted performers and audience alike.
For the Choir of The Scots' Church he composed three psalms for choir and organ which we performed and recorded. We have performed the three psalms often.
It is a pleasure to work with Andrew as he combines a highly developed musical imagination with sure technical skills. He understands textual matters and has an unusual ability to match his work to the ability of the performers
for whom he is composing.

Douglas Lawrence OAM - Director of Music, The Scots' Church, Melbourne
Artistic Director: The Southern Grampians Promenade of Sacred Music
Founding Director: The Australian Chamber Choir

Batterham avoids the temptation of cheap tricks,
such as the crude mimicry of bush sounds. Instead, he draws on
the resources of a sophisticated compositional technique.

Johanna Selleck - Herald Sun
Thugine Legend, Jonathon Grieves-Smith and MSO

The work is subtle, melodically interesting, using its main solo instruments
(cor anglais and trumpet) with discretion and a clear sense of their potential. What impressed me most was that the brief piece works by understatement, rather than by bludgeoning the listener with over-emphatic colour.

Clive O'Connell - The Age
Thugine Legend, Jonathon Grieves-Smith and MSO

Andrew Batterham's The End of All Journeys... maintains accessibility
although it works hard to convey its cross-fusion statements, employing a muted version of techno and dance music rather than belabouring the audience with mindless repetition and an inexorable, inflexible beat.
The piece reminded me overwhelmingly of film music, particularly in its climatic stages and specifically of Ennio Morricone.

Clive O'Connell - The Age
The End of All Journeys, Richard Mills and MSO