Oliver Cooke

Oliver Cooke was born in Berkshire, England, in 1873, as the son of a farm labourer. When his family moved to London, Oliver was able to study music at the London College of Music and earned a certificate in organ playing. At the Salvation Army, he learned to play a cornet, and later became first a bandmaster and then a songster leader. He had his first song published in The War Cry in 1888 and for the next 50 years he continued writing songs for The Musical Salvationist , a publication for songster brigades (choirs). Cooke died in 1945.

Heather Allington, The Salvation Army Oshawa