W. B. Olds
William Benjamin Olds (1874–1948) was an American musician, professor, composer, and scholar. His book Bird songs for children was published in 1914. The Musical Quarterly published an article he wrote about bird songs in 1922. Arrangements he made of bird songs were performed. He worked at Millikin College in Decatur, Illinois. He wrote a college song for the school in 1913. In 1923 he took a position at the University of Redlands in California. He studied bird songs. In Redlands he lived at the Herman A. Westbrook Residence at 805 North University Avenue. The Choir of the West of Pacific Lutheran University utilized his arrangement for many years as an opener for concerts. The Wartburg Choir's performance of his arrangement Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott features in the documentary The Wartburg Choir in Germany: Celebrating 500 Years of Reformation. |
Birth and Death Data: Died January 10, 1948
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1914 - 1930
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BVE-36688 | 10-in. | 11/15/1926 | Sand wells | Erva Giles | Female vocal solo, with piano | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-57934 | 10-in. | 12/19/1929 | Hoop song | Ruth Rodgers | Female vocal solo, with piano | composer | |
| Victor | [Trial 1914-05-08-01] | Not documented | 5/8/1914 | Little Boy Blue | Rose Stewart | Female vocal solo, with piano | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Olds, W. B.," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109931.
Olds, W. B.. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109931.
"Olds, W. B.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: W. B. Olds
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Olds, W. B. (William Benjamin), 1874-1948 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no94004072
Wikidata: W. B. Olds - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q63089682
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