Biography
After leaving home Miller trained as an English organist and composer under Charles Burney. During the 1750s he performed on flute in the Handel Oratorio orchestra and, in 1756, took the post of organist at Doncaster. His guidance left a lasting mark on musical activity throughout the Doncaster district and across East Anglia, a role underscored when he directed the Sheffield Festival in 1788. Cambridge University awarded him the Doctor of Music, yet contemporaries still described him as simple, warm, and philanthropic. Issued in 1787, “Elements of Thorough Bass and Composition” presented a practical method illustrated by numerous worked examples for performers. Miller’s “Institutes of Music” likewise served as an introductory manual that beginners could study on their own. “The Psalms of David” sought to regularize psalmody rhythms and preserved the melodies known as “Rockingham” and “Galway.” For hymns chosen by Wesley he supplied roughly three hundred original tunes. His instrumental output encompassed flute solos, harpsichord sonatas, and organ voluntaries.
Singles
