By Angela Kaye Mason,
Today’s “Oprah Winfrey Show” aired the “Concert for Heroes” that ended last week’s People Magazine Salute to Heroes episode that was on last week. The studio audience had gotten to stay and watch when the show was taped, but we had to wait until today. It was well worth the wait!

“Tim McGraw” and “Alicia Keys” started it all off with “So This Is Christmas”, and did a wonderful duet. They had never sang together, but you would have never guessed as much. Tim shared with us that his family is Italian , so a lot of his traditions are Italian, for example, they have huge pasta dinners every Christmas Eve. He likes giving money “because people like getting money” and because he doesn’t have to shop. The nest gift he ever got, was when his daughter, born premature, got to come home right at Christmas.

Alicia Keys said her favorite Christmas tradition is simply getting her whole family in one room. Everyone cooks and plays cards, and catching up. The best gift she has ever received was …love.

“Andre Bocelli” and “Mary J Blige” sang next. They did an absolutely beautiful, tear-jerking version of “What Child Is This”. I have always loved this song, but this rendition was breathtaking. Oprah was screaming in the audience with tears in her eyes.

Andre said as far as Christmas traditions in Italy, they go to church-always. They sit and talk with the children while waiting for Santa. He said that Christmas is so beautiful to him. Mary J Blige told us her favorite Christmas song is “O Holy Night” because it has everything that Christmas is about: “The birth of Christ, the beauty of the night, us falling on our knees, in and out of church”. I agree with her, and was very glad she voiced this, as so many of us forget what it is all about, the very first Christmas, and that God so loved the world, that He gave……

“Jennifer Hudson” and Jennifer Nettles, along with “Kristian Bush” of “Sugarland” then came out and sang “Silent Night”. They did a great job, and sounded well together.

Oprah ended “The Oprah Winfrey Show” today by giving everyone in the audience an Ipod Nano, which I found funny after Ellen Degeneres gave out only a few of those today. The show ended with Andre Bocelli singing “O Come All Ye Faithful” in Latin.