Hilary Warner-Evans (Indiana University)
Albert “Bert” Baily and his wife Helen spent summers in Maine running Three Fevers Camp (c. 1935–49), a service work camp that was geared toward improving living standards in the villages of Phippsburg. Bert also wrote several songs about local topics relating to Phippsburg and the Maine coast. This paper examines how the songs reflect the work of the camp as a project of community building for both out-of-state campers and for local adults and youth. It also focuses on the revival of the songs in the 2000s and how they were utilized as a means of validating contemporary Phippsburgers’ idea of what community should be.
Part of 06-10 Music and Identity, Friday, October 14, 2:30 pm–4:30 pm