Miller began composing when at school, continuing up to a few months before his death in 1984. It is unknown who may have mentored him in orchestral scoring and the art of composing extended movements. It is likely that with his fine ear and acquaintance with the repertoire at the Philharmonic Hall he was able to forge a style which although owing much to Rachmaninoff, Brahms or Elgar became his own through many years.

 

The considerable number of compositions written in impressive and beautifully meticulous manuscript are held in the Special Collections section of Liverpool University. They were deposited by former music lecturer at Liverpool University Dr Robert Orledge, friend of the composer.

 

All the manuscripts of early compositions up to the Berlin years are intact. In addition to three piano concertos, ‘Concertino for piano & strings’, Miller composed three ballet works (two orchestral scores ‘Esron’ and ‘Glenaa’ and the two-piano ‘Mary, Mary’) for the Liverpool Ballet Club, a prestigious organisation which commissioned several scores from a range of composers in the 1930s. He wrote a small number of solo piano, violin, cello pieces and several works for two and three pianos.

 

Miller, like Frank Merrick, studied the music of John Field (1782-1837) and gave performances of two of the piano concertos.

​

Note: the ballet scores and the 1929 ‘Fantasy for three pianos’ are not listed in the Liverpool University Special Collections catalogue.

 

Miller’s final composition was 'A child's Tale' (?1956) / 'Children's Tale' (1967) / 'Postlude' (1914-1983) - (1956-1983)  [WDM/6/4/1-3 archive reference] This piece, in various forms, obsessed Douglas Miller throughout his life. He first heard its opening theme on his honeymoon in 1914, and only finished a version with which he was satisfied in April 1983 at the age of 94. The version that was published in 1983 (in D major), is dedicated to his wife Dorothy (who had died in 1976).

The piece reached its first definitive version around 1956, when it was known as ‘A Child's Tale’ (in E major) - for his first granddaughter Deirdre. His second granddaughter Fiona was born in 1958, the year his only son Nick died, and after this in 1967 the piece became known as ‘Children's Tale’. From then on it was revised many times, especially the ending, until Miller was completely satisfied with its content and its proportional balance. As well as a moving tribute to his late wife, he also saw the piece as a 'Postlude' to his own career as a pianist, composer and teacher.