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Draft:Mark Miller (Composer)

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Mark Miller is a composer of Christian hymns and anthems. His music is in wide use within the United Methodist Church and other progressive protestant churches, where he is known as an advocate for LGBTQ inclusion within the church. [1]

Early life

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Miller came from a family of United Methodist ministers, including his father and grandfather. He earned a bachelor's degree in music from Yale University and a master's degree in organ performance from The Julliard School. [2]

Career

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In 1614, Batten moved to London to become a Vicar Choral of Westminster Abbey, and was apparently still at Westminster in 1625; The Lord Chamberlain's Records for 1625 show that at the funeral of James I (at which Orlando Gibbons was organist and master of the music) Batten is described as a "singingman of Westminster". In 1626, Batten became a Vicar Choral of the cathedral choir at St. Paul's Cathedral, and also played the organ there. As far as is known, he stayed at this position until his death. Letters of administration for the disposal of his estate were granted to John Gilbert of Salisbury (with the consent of Batten's three brothers) on 22 July 1637, so it can be inferred that he died during the middle of that year at the age of approximately 46.[3]

To augment his income while at Westminster Abbey, Batten worked as a music copyist, and the Abbey's account books record payments to Batten for copying works of Weelkes, Tallis and Tomkins. Batten is credited with the preservation of many pieces of church music of the time, compiled in the Batten Organbook (now in the Bodleian Library), a 498-page quarto in his handwriting. Containing many popular works of that time, which Batten scored for the organ, the Batten Organbook is the only surviving source for many pieces of the time.

Works

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The Organbook has few of Batten’s own works, so ironically much of Batten's own music has been lost. Accordingly, Batten is less well known than some of his contemporaries. He was, however, a prolific composer. A number of works exist only in manuscript at various British libraries and cathedrals, having never been published.

His music has been described as follows: "It is serious and somewhat sad, but not altogether devoid of more joyous touches. His artistic sense was perhaps in excess of his technical powers, and his self-restraint makes of his work something very suitable to certain occasions. His counterpoint is skilful, and the atmosphere created by his music is a pure and devotional one… There is one virtue in Batten's sacred music which was possessed by only a few composers; and that is his constant endeavour to think of music as the servant of divine worship and not as the central figure of that service."[3]

Notes

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  1. ^ Bjorlin, David (2024). "Miller Fellow Announcement". The Hymn Society. The Hymn Society. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  2. ^ Hixon, Mark (11 March 2020). "History of Humns: All My Days". Discipleship Ministries. The United Methodist Church. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b Jeffrey Pulver, A Biographical Dictionary of Old English Music (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1927) 46.

References

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  • Andrew Ashbee, and Peter Holman, eds., Studies in English Consort Music Studies in English Consort Music (Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1996).
  • David Henry, "Notes on Out of the Deep by Adrian Batten," The Church of the Transfiguration, <https://web.archive.org/web/20070928120924/http://www.littlechurch.org/mn020317.html> 3/17/2002).
  • Jeffrey Pulver, A Biographical Dictionary of Old English Music (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1927).
  • S. Sadie and George Grove, eds., The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. (Oxford Univ. Press, 2000).

References

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Category:1590s births Category:1630s deaths Category:English Baroque composers Category:English classical organists Category:English cathedral organists Category:English classical composers of church music Category:17th-century scholars Category:17th-century English classical composers Category:English dramatists and playwrights Category:17th-century English male musicians Category:English male classical organists

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