Director of Music

Douglas Lawrence OAM has been Director of Music at Scots’ Church since 1984. He teaches organ at the University of Melbourne and was Master of the Chapel Music at Ormond College from 1982 to 2006. He has been awarded the OAM for services to music.

Douglas plays the organ most weeks for the Sunday 11am worship service, as well as training and conducting the choir.

Throughout the year Douglas is responsible for producing, directing and conducting many concerts and performances with the choir and with various instrumental ensembles, both in Scots' Church and beyond.

The Rieger Organ that was installed in 1999 was built to Douglas' specification and it has proven to be a wonderful continuation of the musical tradition and standard that has been the hallmark of Scots' Church since its foundation.

Oliver Mann completed a Bachelor of Music (voice) from Monash University in 2003. Since making his professional debut singing Agamemnon in La Belle Hélène (Lyric Opera of Melbourne), Oliver has performed regularly with Opera Australia and Victorian Opera. Recent roles include Pan in J.S. Bach’s The Fight between Phoebus and Pan (Victorian Opera), the Second Priest and the Second Armed Man in W.A. Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Victorian Opera) and The Keeper of the Madhouse in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress.  In 2012 he will perform the part of Antonio in The Marriage of Figaro (Victorian Opera), and he will cover the role of Kromow in The Merry Widow (Opera Australia). Oliver has also written and recorded two celebrated albums of original material, Oliver Mann Sings (2005) and The Possum Wakes at Night (2008).

Dr Robin Batterham AO is assistant organist. He covers Douglas Lawrence’s leave, as well as assisting in special church services, concerts and performances.

Robin has a distinguished career in research science, having completed undergraduate and PhD studies in chemical engineering at Melbourne University.

He currently serves as Chief Technologist for Rio Tinto, and has also recently completed a term of office as Chief Scientist to the Federal Government.