Garden of Memory 2008

Each year on the summer solstice, the indomitable Sarah Cahill gathers the Bay Area new and experimental music community together for Garden of Memory, an extraordinary event at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland. This is a venue like no other: it's a labyrinthine, Julia Morgan-designed columbarium that honestly defies belief. This year's installment is on Saturday, and I will be performing there for the first time.

The event features simultaneous performances in different spaces within the building by an eclectic collection of musicians presenting a variety of acoustic and electronic music, installations, and interactive events. The audience moves freely throughout the multilevel maze of internal gardens, cloisters, alcoves, stairwells, fountains, and stained glass skylights. Sfmike covered last year's event on Civic Center.

This year I'll be singing a set of solos and duets for unaccompanied voice by Meredith Monk as the solitary West Coast representative of The M6. My plan is to do a set of solos, and then I'll be joined by the delightful Elisabeth Commanday (pictured above, having an exceedingly bright idea) for a couple of duets from Facing North. The set will be repeated several times throughout the event, which lasts from 5pm to 9pm.

If you're interested, details are after the jump. Advance purchase is strongly encouraged, so that you're not stuck queuing up on-site to buy tickets. (Last year's event had 2400 people going through the space, so this is a real possibility.)

Parking is (of course) limited.

New Music Bay Area and Lifemark Group Arts/Chapel of the Chimes present:

Garden of Memory 2008
A Columbarium Walk-Through Concert to Celebrate the Solstice

Saturday, June 21, 2008
5 to 9 PM

Chapel of the Chimes
4499 Piedmont Ave.
Oakland, CA

Tickets: $12 general / $8 students and seniors / $5 kids under twelve

Other performers and composers include:
* Charles Amirkhanian * John Bischoff * Krystina Bobrowski * Jorge Boehringer * Brassiosaurus: A Tribute to Toyoji Tomita * Sarah Cahill * Edmund Campion, Danielle De Gruttola, and John Campion * Luciano Chessa * Cornelius Cardew Choir * Del Sol Quartet * Paul Dresher and Joel Davel * Adam Fong * Larnie Fox * Ellen Fullman and Theresa Wong * Brenda Hutchinson * Laura Inserra * Jaroba and Byron Blackburn * Henry Kaiser * Stephen Kent * Walter Kitundu * Gregory Moore * Nature Sounds Society * Amy X Neuburg * Maggi Payne * Philip Perkins * Dan Plonsey's Daniel Popsicle * Randy Porter * Gyan Riley * Jason Victor Serinus * Andy Strain and Kevin Shea Adams * Donald Swearingen * Tango No. 9 * Threshold Choir * William Winant Percussion Group * Katrina Wreede * Aaron Ximm * Pamela Z