DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Halifax, .

The Music Department at Dalhousie Uni- rary's music collection currently lies versity, Halifax, Nova Scotia, was esta- in historical sets, collected works of blished only twenty years ago, although composers, and recordings of "authentic" some music classes had been offered by performances. Original and facsimile the University since 1898. Expansion manuscripts, first editions, historical took place in the 1960s, and a permanent treatises, original letters, etc., form home for the Department, in the new Arts a significant part of the Library's Centre, was found in 1972. By the mid- collection. In total, the Library's 1970s, the Music faculty had reached its music holdings now number approximately peak of 15 full-time and 15 part- 6,300 volumes of monographs and bound time members. Student enrolment climbed serials, 10,000 scores, 7,500 recor- to over 100 majors. dings, and 63 current serial subscrip- tions. Dalhousie's Music Department enjoys a high profile both within the University The University Library has been and in the surrounding community. This collecting performance practice material results, in part, from the many choral for several decades. But with only a and instrumental ensembles and student small annual budget that must be divided and faculty recitals, as well as guest among books, serials, scores, and recor- performances, sponsored by the dings, there was little room for Department. Participation in all music acquiring a large number of specialized ensembles is, in fact, open to any items. qualified person in the University or community. Close ties also exist between The need for more materials in this the Department and many community organ- field became increasingly apparent with izations, including the Early Music the growing emphasis on performance Society of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia practice in all aspects of instruction Youth , the Nova Scotia Music in Dalhousie's music department. A large Educators' Association, Scotia Festival percentage of faculty members in theory, of Music, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the history and performance, have teaching, school music departments of Halifax, research, and performance interests Dartmouth, and Halifax County. that require an augmented collection of performance practice materials. Classes The Department ' S Bachelor of Music pro- in music history , theory, and gram currently offers training to the repertoire, instrument and voice prospective professional performer, instruction, as well as ensemble work, composer, theorist, historian, or critic. all draw heavily on performance practice Its Bachelor of Music Education program materials. Other academic programs, such provides future elementary or secondary as those in theatre and dance, media school teachers with the necessary programming and production, librarian- methods, skills, and field experience. ship, arts management, recreational and therapeutic work, also make use of this Good library resources are a necessity collection. Community members as well, for such a program of instruction. The rely on the Dalhousie University Library strength of the Dalhousie University Lib- for their musical needs. Some years ago, the time seemed right wide-ranging topics as lutes, viols, and to pursue external funding. An applica- voices in early England, the trumpet in tion for a grant from the Social ancient Egypt, Greek and Latin music Sciences and Humanities Research theory, the Spanish baroque guitar, Council of Canada for the purchase of French chansons of the 16th century, performance practice materials was made rhythm in 17th-century Italy, the in March 1986. Official approval of the soloistic use of the trombone in 18th- grant of $49,800 (the amount requested, century Vienna, the art of the and nearly six times the annual kettledrummer, early American brass appropriation for music materials), was makers, thorough-bass accompaniment, received in August 1986. This is a three- clarino playing, embellishment, tempo, year award, which must be spent out or technique and interpretation. Disser- firmly committed by August 1989. tations (in hard copy) include works on musical practice in medieval English To date, nearly onehalf of the grant nunneries, liturgical music dramas, money has been spent. Orders have been Flemish wind bands, the conducting placed for most of the remaining funds. practice of Wagner, concepts of horn No funds were requested for the acquisi- technique, French vocal ornamentation, tion and processing of these materials: the English chant tradition, rhythmic the increased workload has been, and inequality and tempo, violin bowing and continues to be, absorbed by the staff phrasing, improvisation, musical thought in the Collections, Order and and consonance. The major portion of Cataloguing Departments. Bibliographic monographs and dissertations being checking and verification, as well as acquired is in English. the preparation of order recommendation forms - all done by the Music Subject All materials purchased will be Specialist (Collections) - have taken available to any user, whether from the up the greatest amount of time. University or the community. All mono- graphs, dissertations, and performance The types of materials being acquired scores will circulate. Critical editions include facsimiles of manuscripts, and recordings are non-circulating, but historical sets and treatises, available to any user during the open collected editions, performing and ur- hours of the Special Services Department text editions, performance-related mono- where they are housed. Listening graphs and doctoral dissertations, facilities (LP, CD and cassette players) and recordings o f "authentic" and an electronic piano are also located performances. Music items selected for here. purchase include such sets as Corpus of early music, Nagel's Musik-Archiv, and These new additions will not duplicate Hortus musicus; the collected works of existing holdings of other libraries in Berlioz, Deprss, Handel, Schubert, Wolf the Atlantic area. Music collections in and others; single- titles ranging- - from the Atlantic universities service the ' Autographs: facsimiles needs of relatively small undergraduate of 8 manuscripts in the Library of programs; thus their holdings tend to be Congress to Dezais Recueil de- - general rather than specialized. With W ' nouvelles contredanses to Zumsteeg's this grant, the Dalhousie University Kleine Balladen und Lieder. Recordings Library will have the only significant include works by Arne, C.P.E. Bach, collection of performance practice Dowland, Gesualdo, Ockeghem, and others materials in Eastern Canada. on the Florilegium label. -Nell Buller Music Subject Specialist Monographs have been selected on such Dalhousie University Library