Chapel of the Chimes (Oakland, California)

Garden of Memory
Garden of Memory
Genre	Electronic music, experimental music
Dates	Evening of the summer solstice
Location(s)	Chapel of the Chimes (Oakland, California)
Years active	1996–present
Website	Garden of Memory

Designations
Designations
Oakland Designated Landmark
Designated	1999
Reference no.	129

Coordinates: 37°49′55″N 122°14′44″W / 37.83189°N 122.24569°W / 37.83189; -122.24569

Interior of the columbarium, with book-shaped cinerary urns.

Chapel of the Chimes was founded in 1909 as a crematory and columbarium in Oakland, California. The present building dates largely from a 1928 redevelopment based on the designs of the architect Julia Morgan.^[1] The Moorish- and Gothic-inspired interior is a maze of small rooms featuring ornate stonework, statues, gardens, fountains and mosaics. The name "chapel" refers primarily to the style of interior design, as it is not a traditional cemetery chapel building.

History[]

The building maintains its original functions, and also serves as the venue for annual music festivals on the winter and summer solstices.^[2]

The chapel's owners operate funeral homes and cemeteries, not designed by Morgan, in Hayward, also under the name Chapel of the Chimes, as well as Sunset Lawn Chapel of the Chimes in Sacramento.^[3]

Chapel of the Chimes holds the records of the Chapel of Memories on Pleasant Valley Avenue.

Garden of Memory[]

Garden of Memory has been held 1996–present; this is a columbarium walk-through event held every year on the evening of the summer solstice.^[4] It features over 40 musicians performing on unique instruments, or compositions designed for the event. The sound is often electronic or electro-acoustic in source and then electronically processed.^[5]

Notable interments[]

Notable burials include the following:

Harriet Chalmers Adams (1875–1937), explorer
Malcolm Playfair Anderson (1879–1919), explorer and zoologist
Dick Bartell (1907–1995), baseball player
Russ Christopher (1917–1954), baseball player
Frederick George Coppins (1889–1963), Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross in World War I
Al Davis (1929–2011), National Football League executive and Oakland Raiders owner
John A. Elston (1874–1921), US Congressman
William Frederick "Bones" Ely (1863–1952), baseball player
John Lee Hooker (1917–2001), musician
Charles Goodall Lee (1881 – 1973), First Chinese American Dentist
Stephen Stucker (1947-1986), Actor, comedian
Friend Richardson (1865–1943), California governor
Henry Vollmer (1867–1930), mayor of Davenport, Iowa, US Congressman
Herbert Archer (H.A.) Richardson, timber and shipping magnate
Grace Richardson Butterfield, California State Parks Board, Grand Matron of the Eastern Star
William "Bill" Belford (1929–2005), "Godfather" of McClymonds High School – Oakland

References[]

^ Chapel of the Chimes Oakland. "Chapel of the Chimes Oakland – Oakland, CA". Oakland.chapelofthechimes.com. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
^ "a columbarium walk-through event at the Chapel of the Chimes". Garden of Memory. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
^ [1] Archived December 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
^ Jason Victor Serinus. "A mystical, musical garden of memory". San Francisco Examiner. Archived from the original on 2012-08-05. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
^ "Garden of Memory - a columbarium walk-through event at the Chapel of the Chimes".

External links[]

[1] Chapel of the Chimes Oakland. "Chapel of the Chimes Oakland – Oakland, CA". Oakland.chapelofthechimes.com. Retrieved 2014-08-25.

[2] "a columbarium walk-through event at the Chapel of the Chimes". Garden of Memory. Retrieved 2014-08-25.

[3] [1] Archived December 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine

[4] Jason Victor Serinus. "A mystical, musical garden of memory". San Francisco Examiner. Archived from the original on 2012-08-05. Retrieved 2011-09-20.

[5] "Garden of Memory - a columbarium walk-through event at the Chapel of the Chimes".

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