There are a lot of great ways to take advantage of the longest day of the year, otherwise known as the summer solstice. For music fans and, increasingly, for many families in the Bay Area, there's a clear winner among all these possibilities: the Garden of Memory day of music at Oakland's Chapel of the Chimes. Founded by local pianist Sarah Cahill and New Music Bay Area, the event brings together a lot of extremely entertaining (and unusual) acts, performing simultaneously in the extraordinary Julia Morgan-designed building and grounds. When you come, you get a map of where groups are playing, but the best way to experience this single-day festival is to wander about and just happen upon the musicians. Because of the way the Chapel was designed, sound doesn't travel far and you almost stumble upon performances you would expect to hear much further away.
Performers at this year's Garden of Memory concert include the Cornelius Cardew Choir, “performing at the intersection of community and experimental music”; sound and collage artists Thomas Dimuzio and Wobbly; the Crank Ensemble, artist Larnie Fox's assemblage of low-tech, hand-cranked instruments; voice and electronics composer Amy X Neuburg; voice and electronics composer Pamela Z; young composer/ performer Dylan Mattingly; Orchestra Nostalgico, which plays a mixture of jazz, pop, and lounge music (with some of the film scores of Nino Rota thrown into the mix); and, of course, many more.
If you're thinking of going late (performances go on until sunset), bring a bell and participate in the sunset observation piece. What else have you got planned for an odd Tuesday at the beginning of summer?