today

today is the Garden of Memory Concert at the Oakland Columbarium, the Chapel of the Chimes. (vocabulary: columbarium noun - a building where the cremated remains of of deadfolks are kept above ground on shelves or whatnot. see mausoleum) Today is also my mother's birthday.

Ellen is playing at the Chapel of the Chimes concert. Christi played last year. So this will be the second year in a row I have spent my mother's birthday by graves that are not hers. I have never visited her grave.

Nevertheless, it was a very musically interesting event last year and will prolly be this year too. How it works is that performers pick out rooms in the columbarium and then set up and play in that room. There are many performers and many rooms. The audience walks through the space and listens to the concerts and installations that are set up. This happens every year on the summer solstice. So you get four hours of music by a bunch of different folks for $10 ($5 if yer a student).

So, while I have mixed feelings about this event for personal reasons, it will probably be very interesting and good. And you should go. In the 30 groups performing, you can certainly find somebody you like.