The setting sun, and music at the close
June 20, 2019 8:49 AM Subscribe
Each June 21, The Garden of Memory celebrates new music and the summer solstice at The Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, California, a historic columbarium largely designed by Julia Morgan. Visitors walk from room to room hearing dozens of performers creating music which pushes boundaries - avant garde, new approaches to World Music, experimental, electroacoustic, new classical, unusual jazz.
This year, more than 50 duos, ensembles, and solo performers will play in the chapels, rooms, and alcoves (map PDF), among them:
New Music Bay Area on the origin of the event:
This year, more than 50 duos, ensembles, and solo performers will play in the chapels, rooms, and alcoves (map PDF), among them:
- Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble
- Rova Saxophone Quartet
- Henry Kaiser and Scott Amendola with live painting by Brandy Gale
- Amy X Neuburg
- Orchestra Nostalgico
- Paul Dresher and Joel Davel
- Sarah Cahill
- Trance Mission - clarinet and didjeridu by Beth Custer and Stephen Kent
- Donald Swearingen with Pamela Z
- Dan Plonsey and Goggle Plex
- Unpopular Electronics, Gino Robair and Tom Djll
- Peter Apfelbaum
- Duo Probosci
- Adam Fong
- Mobius Trio
- Charles Amirkhanian
- Walter Kitundu
- Joan Jeanrenaud
- Del Sol Quartet
- Laurie Amat
New Music Bay Area on the origin of the event:
The annual Garden of Memory summer solstice concert began in 1995 when Sarah Cahill was writing a cover story for the East Bay Express about public bathrooms of the East Bay.
In search of interesting bathrooms, she wandered into the Chapel of the Chimes and heard some distant organ music as she got lost in the maze of the building. Inspired by that combination of sensory stimuli, she pitched the idea of a concert to other board members of New Music Bay Area. They said yes, and were pleasantly surprised when The Chapel of the Chimes also said yes to a big wild concert of avant garde and experimental music.
Event goers are invited to wander the multilevel building which is built onto a hillside ... as the performers play simultaneously. Getting lost is part of the experience as guests climb up and down the three floors through a maze of gardens, cloisters, alcoves, stairwells, fountains and other architectural elements, which rise into vaulted ceilings. ... In the older section the complexity of chapels, columbaria, and mausoleum areas are adorned with murals, paintings, sculpture, mosaics, California tile and 16th century antiquities. All architectural and garden areas have excellent acoustics and are illuminated by gentle natural light, often through beautiful arrangements of stained glass.Musicians have come together for the Garden of Memory concert every June 21st since 1996.
- Stepping in and out of the circle to sing the "Heart Chant" by Pauline Oliveros, 2016 and 2012
- various Chapel of the Chimes videos from years past
It’s a stunning space to visit on a normal day. I’m regularly in that part of town but I don’t visit the chapel often enough. I wonder if it’d be weird to use as a remote work location?
posted by migurski at 9:08 AM on June 20, 2019
posted by migurski at 9:08 AM on June 20, 2019
Yay Oakland!! the space is indeed spectacularly beautiful and the cemetery is a wonderful place for a walk.
posted by supermedusa at 9:34 AM on June 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by supermedusa at 9:34 AM on June 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
All four of my paternal great-grandparents (including this guy) are interred there. Give em a holler for me.
posted by theodolite at 11:15 AM on June 20, 2019
posted by theodolite at 11:15 AM on June 20, 2019
Sounds amazing. I'll have to put this on my calendar.
posted by Standard Orange at 9:24 PM on June 20, 2019
posted by Standard Orange at 9:24 PM on June 20, 2019
The show is a little overwhelming and it gets pretty hot in there because a lot of the rooms have greenhouse glass ceilings, but the building itself is really fantastic. My 3 year old and I walked about it for about 90 minutes last Sunday and had the place almost entirely to ourselves. The nearby Olmstead designed cemetery is great too, and I feel like both are a bit of a secret.
posted by vunder at 9:36 PM on June 20, 2019
posted by vunder at 9:36 PM on June 20, 2019
I've been going every year for five or so years. It really is fantastic but I confess to the same jealous instinct kaibutsu mentions. (It gets real hot in there when it's crowded, too.)
posted by kenko at 9:52 PM on June 20, 2019
posted by kenko at 9:52 PM on June 20, 2019
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posted by kaibutsu at 8:55 AM on June 20, 2019