Garden of Memory at Chapel of the Chimes 2024

Garden of Memory at Chapel of the Chimes 2024

The annual Walk-Through Concert - Garden of Memory at Chapel of the Chimes returns again to celebrate the summer solstice.

By New Music Bay Area

Date and time

Friday, June 21 · 5 - 9pm PDT

Location

Chapel Of The Chimes Oakland Funeral Home & Crematory

4499 Piedmont Avenue Oakland, CA 94611

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 1 day before event
Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.

About this event

  • 4 hours

ONLINE SALES ONLY. NO SALES AT THE DOOR. TICKETS WILL BE CAPPED AT 2750. TICKETS WILL SELL OUT.

The program will feature simultaneous performances in different parts of the building by Bay Area composers, musicians, sound artists, and other performers presenting a variety of acoustic and electronic music, installations, and interactive events; the audience is free to move throughout the building during the performances.

We are opening up sales to a few hundred more than last year's sold out concert, which had over 800 people on the waitlist! Despite that, there will be more than a thousand fewer people allowed in than the last pre-covid concert in 2019. Masks are welcomed - especially in the smaller enclosed spaces.

The artists, many of whom are well-known to Bay Area audiences, to be featured at the 2024 event include Pamela Z; Kitka; Sarah Cahill; Sparrows & Ortolans - Laetitia Sonami & James Fei; Laura Inserra; Brian Baumbusch; Paul Dresher & Joel Davel; Liam Herb; Dylan Mattingly; Evan Ziporyn; Orchestra Nostalgico; The Cardew Choir; ROVA; Dan Plonsey & Friends; Randy Porter & Jennifer Ellis; Andy Meyerson; Dean Santiomieri, Cindy Sawprano & Christina Braun; Beth Custer & Will Bernard; Stephen Kent; John Benson; Sidney Chen; Soriah; Monica Scott; The Mycos Project; Giacomo Fiore; Wendy Reid & friends; Edward Schocker; Duo B- Lisa Mezzacappa & Jason Levis & friends; Voicehandler-Jacob Heule & Danishta Rivero; Harmonic Drift; Roco Cordova & Adrián Montúfar; Sruti Sarathy; Tom Djll, Karen Stackpole & Cheryl Leonard; Kaitlin McSweeney; Anne Hege; Silvia Matheus; Regular Music; Majel Connery; Briana Marela; Julie Herndon; Moe Staiano Ensemble; & Michelle Moeller

Check our website - https://www.gardenofmemory.com for helpful hints, and updated information on the event. A map will be posted identifying the location of the ensembles.

There is no schedule for most of the performances. Event goers are invited to wander the multilevel building which is built onto a hillside between Piedmont Avenue and Howe Street 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.

Parking is extremely limited. Piedmont Avenue in front of the Chapel will be closed to cars. Please carpool or use rideshare services, public transportation, or bike, if at all possible. There will not be handicapped parking available - please arrange to be dropped off. If you do drive, there may be parking available on Pleasant Valley Rd. AC Transit's Bus Line #12 stops within 2 blocks and serves both the Ashby and the 19th St. BART stations, as well as AMTRAK, if you're coming from afar. Bicycles are best locked on the fencing of the parking lot across the street from the main entrance.

Accessibility: The Chapel of the Chimes is only partially handicap accessible. There is access to the main entrance, and to the top floor and annex floors (where there will be performers,) but the older section, except for the two main chapels, is not accessible. We are opening a third entrance at the back of the parking lot on Piedmont, between the Funeral Home & the Columbarium, that will provide handicap access from Piedmont to the annex and elevators to the second and third floors.

No food or drink is allowed inside, except for water bottles - which are recommended, as it can get very hot inside and water fountains are few and far between. There will be food trucks outside on Piedmont Ave, and some tables and chairs.

Garden of Memory offers a unique and personal musical experience to every listener as they rove freely through this Oakland Historic Landmark building. Our co-sponsor, Chapel of the Chimes, is the largest above-ground cemetery (mausoleum which is an inside cemetery) west of the Mississippi. Chimes started out as a street car station that was transformed into the California Memorial Crematorium and Columbarium in 1909. The property was expanded and transformed initially by Julia Morgan and later by Aaron Green, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright. The Oakland Historical Landmark today continues to provide complete end-of-life services, part of a family of four premier Bay Area cemeteries, columbariums, crematories, mausoleums and funeral homes. From traditional to personalized, Chapel of the Chimes assists the diverse families of Northern California to fully memorialize and celebrate a life lived.



Frequently asked questions

Parking?

Parking is extremely limited- Piedmont Avenue in front of the Chapel will be closed to cars. Please carpool, use rideshare, public transportation, or bike, if at all possible. There is no parking in Mountain View Cemetery permitted.

Accessibility

The Chapel of the Chimes is only partially handicap accessible. There is access to the main entrance, and to the top floor and annex floors (where there will be performers,) but the older section except for the main chapels will not be accessible.

Tickets at the Door?

All ticket sales will be online, and capped at 2750. THERE WILL BE NO TICKET SALES AT THE DOOR, AND THE EVENT IS EXPECTED TO SELL OUT.

Will there be a map?

A map will be available online for downloading. There may be printed maps available at entry.

Will there be Food and Drinks?

There will be Food Trucks on Piedmont Ave outside the main entrance, as well as some tables and chairs. You're also welcome to bring a picnic to be eaten on Piedmont or on the Pacific Plaza off of Howe St. HOWEVER - Only water may be carried inside the building.

Entrances?

There are three entrances. The main entrance on Piedmont Ave, a handicap entrance at the back of the parking lot on Piedmont avenue between the mortuary and the Columbarium, and on the upper block on Howe St.

Are there schedules of the performances?

No, there are no schedules - except for the main Chapel of the Chimes - where a schedule will be posted outside the room. Performers in all the other spaces will be performing for either four hours, with breaks, or two hours, alternating with another group.

How can one be considered as a performer for next year?

Email newmusicbayarea@gmail.com in March of 2025.

Is this a good event for children?

The Garden of Memory is a wonderful experience for all ages, and all tastes. It is not like anything else anywhere.

Organized by

$5 – $20