Lakewood Cemetery Hosts Diverse Performers in Their Music in The Chapel Concert Series

Since 2018, Lakewood Cemetery hosted a series of music concerts held inside their historic chapel. This popular Music in The Chapel concert series hosted local musicians of all genres aa way to purpose the chapel for a modern era.

The caretakers at Lakewood created this series for the community to experience the cemetery in a different way. While hosting these concerts, the chapel shares the spotlight as a destination venue in part of keeping Lakewood’s doors open to the public.

“Our goal was to provide opportunity to invite local musicians to perform in this beautiful historic space and invite new audiences to explore the beauty of Lakewood while attending a concert,” listening to music,” explained Amanda Luke, the Community Programs Manager at Lakewood Cemetery. “Our goal was really to give people a reason to come on site, whether it was their first time visiting. We wanted them to know that they’re welcome to come into our gates, all are welcome to come here.

“It also serves as a great opportunity for people who might be returning to Lakewood for the first time after a loss,” Luke continued. “We actually get a lot of feedback at events that people say, ‘I haven’t been here since a funeral. But I’m really happy to be here.’ Seeing this space being around this community and the positive energy that the concerts bring a lot of the time. So, it really can serve a lot of the local community and helping [to get them] them more connected with Lakewood.”

Most people would not consider a cemetery as a welcoming place to the public. However, Lakewood began to consider themselves as a destination beyond just being a place for memorialization. “One of the things that we learned was that people felt like they weren’t allowed to come in,” explained Julia Gillis, the Director of Marketing & Outreach at Lakewood. “They didn’t know that Lakewood was open to the public and that anyone was welcome here. So that’s when we decided we’re going to start expanding our community outreach and community programming, and help people understand that yes, you are welcome here.”

Gillis mentioned that Lakewood is building a Welcome Center on the grounds. That way, visitors would be welcomed to visit the Chapel and partake in their programs.

The Chapel itself was designed by renowned architect Harry Wild Jones and built in 1910. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The chapel can seat up to 150 guests in an intimate setting adorned by more than ten million tesserae mosaic tiles. According to Lakewood, these tiles were crafted by European artisans who came to Lakewood directly from completing a project in the Vatican.

What makes the series’ programming stand out at Lakewood? “The one connection is that they’re all local, but we try to provide a diverse variety of artists so that there can be something for everyone throughout the year,” Luke explained. “We like to keep the ticket cost accessible; they range anywhere from 10 to $40. It’s really just a great opportunity to see a bunch of different artists and check out what’s going on in the music scene in Minneapolis.”

The series starts on Sunday, April 7 with master guzheng – a Chinese zither – artist Jarrelle Barton. Concerts are scheduled monthly through December each year.

Also on the schedule is an LGBTQ+ artist Too Old Cat. Luke described them as “a queer-led progressive cello banjo duo. They’re a lot of fun.” Barton and Too Old Cat are among the diverse performers in this year’s concert series.

The Music In The Chapel concert series schedule is as follows:

April 7 – Jarrelle Barton ($10 advance / $15 door) 
May 5 – Mila Vocal Ensemble ($15 advance / $20 door) 
June 2 – J.E. Sunde ($25 advance / $35 door)
July 14 – Too Old Cat ($15 advance / $20 door)
August 11 – Red Thread ($15 advance / $20 door)
September 8 – 10th Wave ($20 advance / $30 door)
October 6 – Amanda Grace + Friends ($20 advance / $30 door)
November 10 – Twin Cities Hardingfelag ($15 advance / $20 door)
December 1 – The OK Factor Holiday Concert ($20 advance / $30 door)

Tickets are available by logging onto their website (link is below).

In all, everyone is welcome to Lakewood Cemetery to listen to a great concert put on by local musicians and performers at their historic Chapel. And, all are also welcomed to the grounds to enjoy the architecture, peace and quiet. Otherwiose, you can simply come for the music.

Lakewood Cemetery Chapel
3600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
www.lakewoodcemetery.org/events-calendar/music-in-the-chapel/