I have a buddy that used to live in Oakland.  He’s a really cool, arty guy and whenever he had a new ladyfriend with whom he wanted to share some arty coolness, he would take her to a mausoleum called the Chapel of the Chimes.  I’d never been there, and when he told me about it, I just didn’t get it… I mean, a mausoleum?

How ignorant I was.  The Chapel of the Chimes is an incredibly beautiful building that was originally built in 1909, then redesigned in 1928 by Julia Morgan.  It’s really a marvel – all ornate arches, columns, skylights, and tiled pathways leading to innumerable small, intimate, sacred spaces with names like The Cloister of the Cherubs, Court of the Everlasting, and Garden of the Promises.  Since many of the urns of cremated remains are designed to look like books, some of the rooms give the impression of a stately old library.  Some are peaceful gardens.  All are beautiful, serene, and meditative.  It’s really an incredible space.

Each year, on the summer solstice, dozens of musicians and composers are invited to make music there.  They fill all the various rooms, nooks and crannies and we get to wander around the maze-like space and see what’s around the next corner.  Much of the music is experimental and atmospheric.  It’s a pretty amazing event, and we try to go each year.

I haven’t thought a whole lot about what I’d like done after I die, but to be in such a beautiful, serene place that is filled to the rafters with music and wonder at least once per year seems like a pretty good option.

Get another perspective on this event on Lenny’s blog.