AFTER HOURS: Searching for Romeo and other rarities in Juliette

That handsome heartthrob was nowhere to be found, but Romeo's in Juliette, the most recent addition to bustling McCrackin Street and an authentic Italian restaurant, was enough to satisfy the Middle Georgians who traveled to Juliette for the Green Tomato Festival on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

There were young people strolling through the village who don't remember the hit movie "Fried Green Tomatoes," which put Juliette on the map. The production designer found Juliette for the set when director John Avnet adapted Fannie Flagg's book, "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe," for the screen. Some of the buildings were transformed with early 20th century facades that now bear the names of cottage businesses.

Colorfully decorated tents filled the main street where Morning Train, a country and western band from Eastman, provided boot scootin' music on the porch of the Opry House, for crowds that stopped at the tents to purchase handcrafted jewelry, art work, accessories, a bounty of canned preserves and jars of aromatic honey.

In the Honeycomb shop, the heavy scent of amber colored honey was overwhelming; pulled pork barbecue and fried green tomatoes are perennial favorites on the menu at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

TREASURES OFF THE BEATEN PATH

At Purple Hayes, two costumed characters rummaged through vintage clothes and hats to add to their eclectic couture while other customers sampled organically made creams. On the street, Stephanie Phelan, owner of Yoga of Pottery, displayed her oven-proof ceramics, many pieces so unique they could hardly be relegated to bake ware.

In Tarik Berbey's booth, his sculptural wine caddies, made from recycled metal, were personalized for hobbies or professions -- the golfer with a tassel on his tam, golf shoes and bag, or the photographer draped with cameras and other accoutrements for a shutter bug. Berbey uses polished steel with brass and copper details to create the ideal gift for the friend that has everything.

Since passenger trains no longer stop in Juliette, the depot has been preserved as a repository of souvenirs from the movie, antiques and collectibles, its passenger platform converted to a porch overlooking the main street. Charlott Johnson, merchandising manager for the Whistle Stop Train Depot, welcomed tourists to the emporium last weekend to buy posters from the movie, accessories or restored furniture from another era.

Like all Juliette residents, delighted to have so many visitors, she volunteered information about where to dine and find unusual treasures. Sunday was dreary, but the turnout Saturday had the roads to the sleepy hamlet packed.

CELEBRATION FOR THE LIVING ON A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

Last Sunday, the Choral Society of Middle Georgia and the Mercer University Choir filled the sanctuary of Vineville United Methodist Church with music that was off the seismic scale. Accompanied by a chamber ensemble, the combined choirs, with Stanley Roberts conducting, performed Dan Forrest's "Requiem for the Living," a 40-minute anthem in five arrangements. No translation was needed to comprehend the message of hope and redemption, most of which was sung in traditional Latin.

Opening with "Kyrie," Teodora Circiumaru harnessed the magnificent energy of the organ and Marcus Reddick, his timpani, when the choir's voices soared during the crescendo. The building staccato of "Vanitas Vanitatum," where percussionist Reddick added to the tension, was spirited admonishment for vainglorious pursuits.

The ancient chant from early European liturgy, "Agnus Dei," featured soloist Betsy Swanson singing Forrest's interpretive harmonic cadence, which moved from adagio to triumphant blessing. Kelly Via on flute and Levi Mitze on violin added an ethereal delicacy to the arrangement.

"Sanctus," the hymn of victory, opened with the light sound of the percussionist's chimes and Calista Anne Koch's harp, which were joined by Sihao He's cello in a joyful tribute to Hosanna. The timbre of Beau Palmer's tenor voice dominated the final selection and the only one sung in English, "Lux Aeterna," the assurance of God's peace.

A chamber ensemble affords the listener the opportunity to hear the instruments individually -- Megan Cargin's performance on horn was stellar in clarity.

Evangelical camp meetings provided community and assuaged feelings of isolation for American pioneers who moved into the western wilderness during the early 19th century. Susan Brumfield's arrangement of the camp meeting song, "No Time," was an upbeat selection following the reverential tone of the requiem. The song, an unabashed plea for an eternal home, segued to "When I Can See My Title Clear," arranged by composer Forrest, a song in the bluegrass genre written a century ago, with the same message by hymn writer Isaac Watts.

Accompanied by Circiumaru on piano, the rich combined voices of the choirs shone when Roberts closed the afternoon with the rousing spiritual, "Jordan's Angels."

CLARIFICATION

The coverage of the Macon Symphony Orchestra's performance, which I wrote about here in the Nov. 1 issue of The Telegraph, was based on my attendance of rehearsal performances. It was brought to my attention that one of the numbers I mentioned in that article was deleted from the live performance. I apologize for the error.

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 November 7, 2015 at 9:37 PM with the headline "AFTER HOURS: Searching for Romeo and other rarities in Juliette ."