IOCA 'Song Fest' collection

Subject: IOCA 'Song Fest' collection
From: GUEST,Christiaan Adams
Date: 15 Dec 05 - 05:09 PM

Hello,
I am writing to see if anyone out there knows about the song books entitled "Song Fest", edited by Dick and Beth Best, containing the song collections of the Intercollegiate Outing Club Association (IOCA). They were published from the 1940's (possibly the late 1930's) into the 1970's.

I am the current Exec.Sec. of IOCA, and am trying to research the history of this collection. I've posted several pages on our website with some of what I've found so far:
http://www.ioca.org/songfest/

There have been a number of threads on this website discussing it in the past, including:
I.O.C.A. Song Fest 3rd Edition, 1941,

Song Fest - How many editions?, and

Title of old songbook? - IOCA Song Fest,

as well as many other references to the songs in the book.

I'm very interested in anything you might know about the history of the song fest collection, especially the earlier copies from the early 40's and possibly even the 30's. Also, anyone who knows or knew the Bests, please do get in touch. Any memories or anecdotes about how the books were used would be wonderful to hear as well. The best way to contact me is via email at [e-mail].

Thank you!
-Christiaan

========================================
Christiaan Adams
Executive Secretary
Intercollegiate Outing Club Association
http://www.ioca.org

Subject: RE: IOCA 'Song Fest' collection
From: GUEST,miriam berg
Date: 07 Mar 08 - 03:01 AM

hi
i have an edition of Song Fest which i purchased in 1955
i don't know anything about the history though
it is marked "Second printing, December 1955"
but nothing about an edition
it does say, Copyright 1948, 1955 by R.L.Best
i had just joined the University of California at Berkeley
Hiking Club
and we used it at our folk singing parties
i still find it a valuable resource for old folk songs
although Dick and Beth failed to document and attribute
many of the songs
there's a preface by Dick and Beth Best, 1948
and a "Preface to the Original Collection"
signed by Will Brown, Dartmouth '37 and Gerry Richmond, Brown '36

miriam berg, UCBerkeley '61