Can you hear the drumming? Thanks to Sam Scully, Dal’s collection of music scores for percussion has just received a boost. There are now 19 scores in the Killam Library Music Collection for modern percussion music by noted contemporary composers Abe Keiko, Alvin Curran, John Cage and Iannis Xenakis.

Many of you in the Dal community will remember Sam Scully, who was our Vice-President Academic and Provost from 1998 until 2006. The Scully Endowment was set up for the Music Department by Dr. Scully in 1999, with the clearly stated mandate that the “funds […] be used primarily for the acquisition of materials to enable the performance of music. This will include scores, recordings, treatises on performance techniques and videos.”

It took a few years before the endowment reached a level where the annual earnings could support purchasing the intended materials. The first Scully Fund allocation was used in 2008 to acquire 34 high-quality DVDs of recitals and operas. In successive years the Scully Fund has also supported the purchase of 37 violin scores and 21 piano scores.

So the we all reap the benefits of Dr. Scully’s desire to facilitate music performance at Dalhousie. In a very tangible way Sam continues to support and share his love of music with the Dal community. Come on up the the Music Room on the 5th floor of the Killam and explore his gifts for yourself!