Obadiah Bruen Brown (1829–1901) was born in Washington, DC, apparently the son of Obadiah Bruen Brown (1779–1852), a Baptist clergyman who served as Chaplain of the House and Chaplain of the Senate. He first studied music in Boston under various teachers, including John Knowles Paine. He taught in State Normal Schools of Salem, Bridgewater, and Framingham, and in public schools of Boston, Roxbury, and Malden. He traveled to Leipzig, Germany to study piano and composition and, returning to the US, he served as organist in various Boston churches, conducted several choral societies, and was editor and arranger for several music publishers. He published compositions under “O. B. Brown,’ as well as the pseudonyms “Ernest Leslie” and “Ferdinand Mayer.” His compositions include some orchestral pieces, chamber pieces, keyboard pieces, school song-books, a book of Psalms, anthems, part-songs, and songs.

All are mixed chorus unless noted; some contain divisi.