AFTER HOURS: Finely honed talent
The upstairs hall of the Wesley building at Vineville United Methodist Church is gaining a reputation as the best little art gallery in town.
During October, Alice Asbell's penchant for jewel tones was evident in her paintings of birds, flowers and favorite destinations. She has recorded memorable moments with her grandchildren and, with mute admiration, placid lakes and Technicolor forests.
Asbell's paintings were the rich counterpoint to Karen Shockley's delicate baubles fashioned from silver, copper or gold wire, adorned with semi-precious, precious or polished natural stones. Shockley, whose second career as jewelry maker follows years as a teacher, has had a busy month -- her booth is always a popular source for gifts at the annual Jazz and Arts on Riverdale festival.
However, only a few of her regular customers know that her husband, Bill Shockley, creates knives with handles hand-carved from unusual woods, bones, antlers and tusks, all found objects in which he sees the ideal fit for a hand.
Bill's display of knives at the October exhibit, all of their handles polished to a fine patina, drew many admirers who wanted to purchase his one-of-a-kind art work only to be disappointed to read, in his biography, that he never sells them. You would have to be a friend to be the lucky owner of a Shockley knife -- he only gives them away.
According to European folklore, which traveled to this country with its earliest settlers, in order to prevent the severance of a friendship, the recipient of a gifted knife must give the donor a token payment, usually a copper coin.
Since Shockley has lots of friends, he probably has a rare collection of copper pennies, too.
Church members and guests had the opportunity to see and buy paintings and jewelry on Oct. 25 after pianist Bradley Smith accompanied his wife, soprano Kerrie Caldwell, for the second performance of the 2015-16 Music and the Arts at Vineville season.
Caldwell, known as a "fiery soprano," and Smith, a young pianist with an impressive resume, are well known to Macon's music community, having appeared at Vineville several times in recent years.
HAY HOUSE ON THE CW
You saw it in this column in August: Hay House has gained star status with filmmakers who find its mystery and elegance a set designer's dream for the lavish production of "The Originals," a spinoff of "The Vampire Diaries," on the CW channel.
In the last week of October, two episodes of a story in the series aired with a cameo scene at the end of the program on Oct. 22, and the music room the main set for the program on Oct. 29.
If you missed the vampires' gala ball or didn't realize you were looking at the sumptuous interior of Hay House, the formal affair, with women draped in damask and diamonds, was plucked from New Orleans' fabled history of witchcraft. But, there are not many historic mansions in the Big Easy with ballrooms that could accommodate the cast of actors and equipment needed for filming -- plus, Macon could go toe-to-toe with the Crescent City on tales of sorcery.
If you are a skeptic, take the next Spirits tour of Riverside Cemetery where costumed re-enactors introduce you to some of Macon's most eccentric and mysterious forbears.
AN EVENING OF CHILLS AND THRILLS
Maestro Jerry Steichen, versatile pianist and guest conductor who is music director of the Ridgefield (Connecticut) Symphony, is well equipped for a lighthearted family friendly performance such as "Symphonic Tricks and Orchestral Treats," the Macon Symphony's concert at the Grand Opera House on Oct. 24.
Steichen got in the spirit of the evening with his magic baton, leading the orchestra through a spine tingling program, which included Engelbert Humperdinck's "Witch's Ride" from "Hansel and Gretel" and John Williams' "Devil's Dance" from the "Witches of Eastwick," a frenetic, discordant composition that had children on the edges of their seats.
Steichen is comfortable with contemporary composers after 10 seasons with the New York City Opera and countless piano performances in opera and theater.
Publicity for the concert encouraged patrons to dress in Halloween costumes and bring the children for the healthiest of treats -- lively orchestral music. Nancy and Jeff White were not on the streets threatening tricks or begging for treats, but were reminded of those days by the special effects, which set the mood for the evening.
Rod Temperton's "Thriller," the hit that was first given the hackneyed title, "Starlight," will be connected forever with the voice and video of Michael Jackson when he recorded this quintessential Halloween song in 1983.
Closing the concert with the terrifying chase through a haunted house, full of ghoulish creatures, was a triumphant finish to an energetic evening of childish fantasy.
Katherine Walden is a freelance writer and interior designer in Macon. Contact her at 478-742-2224 or kwaldenint@aol.com.
This story was originally published October 31, 2015 at 7:43 PM with the headline "AFTER HOURS: Finely honed talent ."