When I was a child, I can remember the excitement of opening the paper windows of our family’s cardboard Advent calendar. I recall one season where the anticipation was so overwhelming that I opened the entire calendar in one day because I was so eager to see the Baby Jesus. Advent is upon us once again, and each Sunday I am reminded of the themes of hope, love, joy and peace. I love decorating our home for the Christmas holiday. We have a collection of nearly a dozen nativity scenes, and each one occupies a place of prominence to keep our focus on Jesus as the reason for the season. December has always been a miraculous month for me. Blessings abound in the Season of Miracles.

As a musician, the month of December has always been filled with concerts and church services, but this year I find my schedule being wide open in regard to booking gigs. In the past, I have been a member of select groups that would play annual concerts, which always served to fill me with the spirit of the season. One of those ensembles was the Jubilate Deo Chorale and Orchestra, of which I was a member for nearly fifteen years. Their Christmas program was more like a pageant, and it was filled with scripture readings, an angel, the Magi and the Holy Family. In the early days, we played concerts on Saturday and Sunday, and our group would draw audiences that would fill the Sony Entertainment Center in Camden, NJ. It was surreal. As time passed, and the novelty wore off, we moved our entourage to a high school auditorium and focused our attention on one Sunday afternoon concert. Sadly, the Jubilate Deo Chorale and Orchestra had its final curtain call several years ago. Although there were many moments of beautiful music, the magic was in the message: the birth of the Savior – the hope of God in the form of new life! God is truly with us! It was the reason I enthusiastically performed with them.

One of the more memorable Christmas performances occurred on 14 December 1998 when our ensemble made its Carnegie Hall debut on a Monday night, and the concert was sponsored by the Vatican Delegation to the United Nations. We filled Carnegie Hall that night, and the energy was absolutely electrifying. In those days, the flute section would rotate seating, but I was fortunate to play principal flute on The Many Moods of Christmas. Because we were limited to three rehearsals per performance, our music was mailed to us weeks in advance. The conductor of this concert highlighted important passages, which he wanted played to perfection. I can still see the markings in my mind’s eye of The Many Moods of Christmas flute solo on which was written, “Shine, Tania.” Without letting my nerves get the better of me, I did just that. I really tried to weave my part into the beautiful tapestry of sound that the orchestra was creating. It was tremendously satisfying, and I was absolutely thrilled that my parents and my grandmother were there to hear it. God is good! Three years later, I was appointed principal flute, and, during my tenure, we made two Christmas CD’s, which I still hold dear to my heart.

For over ten years, I would play a Bel Canto Lyric Opera concert one week before Christmas. I loved playing with this organization because it introduced me to playing repertoire I rarely got the opportunity to perform. Like with Jubilate Deo (JDCO), I was able to play two to three times per year. Unlike JDCO, however, flute solos were not meant to feature me per se, but rather acted as beautiful obbligato lines that were woven throughout the opera singers’ melodies. I adored trying to achieve such a delicate balance of glorious sound. It was heavenly. The Bel Canto Christmas concerts were always held at the Church of the Assumption in Wildwood Crest, NJ. Driving in Wildwood in December was always very eerie because it literally looked like a ghost town. I would arrive in the early afternoon for the only rehearsal we ever had, and nothing was open but the McDonald’s and the Acme supermarket. At every intersection, I encountered blinking yellow street lights since no cars were on the road. By the time of the concert downbeat in the evening, however, at least one thousand people filled the church. Concert-goers appeared out of nowhere. The final time I played with them was in May of 2015. As with the JDCO concerts, which ended without warning, my time with Bel Canto had unknowingly come to an end as well. I had grown weary of driving long distances, especially after having performed much of the same repertoire year after year. I had just met the man who would become my husband, and I wanted to spend my weekends with him. By the time the Christmas gig rolled around, Jay and I were a long-term couple so I politely declined. I have no regrets, especially after having devoted my youth to music. As I got older, I longed to create a family that lasted longer than the two-hour concerts I was playing. Yes, the experiences were exceptional, but the musical high only lasted a short time. I make memories every day with my husband. That final Bel Canto performance was probably the best I had ever played with them. As principal flute that day, I sat in front of a clarinetist who was dying of a brain tumor. Every note we played counted, and the music-making was purely magical! It was a sober reminder that nothing lasts forever, and we must appreciate each moment. My clarinetist colleague died a few months later. I remember that ensemble with love today!

In December of 2001, I was hired to play in an orchestra that accompanied Andrea Bocelli at the Atlantic City Convention Center. It was another surreal experience. We rehearsed in the afternoon for a concert later that evening, and part of the reason I enjoyed it was because it was the first major gig I played with musicians who had been professors at my graduate school. I was now sitting amongst former teachers I could call colleagues, and we were backing up an internationally acclaimed musician. Fourteen thousand people attended that concert, which the seating inside could not comfortably accommodate. Extra folding chairs were added to the ends of each row to increase the capacity of the hall. The energy was electrifying! I can still feel the lights on my face as I sat in the orchestra and the air conditioning blowing down on the flute section in the middle of December. I cherish those moments.

For as long as I can remember, my family celebrated Christmas Eve at my Polish grandmother’s home. She hosted the Wigilia supper every year, which was always followed by the exchange of Christmas presents. My siblings and I loved this tradition because we enjoyed my uncle’s fish and shrimp dinner while we anticipated a visit from Santa Claus. In my senior year of high school, I began playing flute at my home church (St. Mary’s Church of the Immaculate Conception), and I enthusiastically played for the midnight mass on Christmas Eve for over twenty years. For the first few years of my tenure there, I only played during the mass, but then I joined the choir prelude, which generally began at 11:30pm. I loved adding an obbligato layer to the choir, but what moved me the most was integrating my line into the mass parts. Unlike concert performances, I approached my role with a sense of deep respect and reverence for the sanctity of the mass. I adored listening to the homilies of Msgr. Banick, who never ceased to remind the congregation that the birth of Immanuel truly meant God was with us! His comforting words touched my heart and soul and oftentimes moved me to tears. With the exception of my dad’s homilies, I have not encountered a more powerful preacher or such a gifted priest. My heart overflows with gratitude for every moment of spiritual bliss.

All of these experiences are but a distant memory now, and the greatest common factor with each is that I was unaware at the time that I was playing my last note. Traditions sometimes foster a sense of false security that we think will never end, and, when they do, we are shocked or disillusioned. When I visited my grandmother on Christmas Day 2018, I had no idea that I had hugged and kissed her for the last time. She was so determined to live to see her great grandson, but he didn’t see her until the day she died, and she was nearly comatose. As I reflect on Christmases past, I remember the magical musical moments with love, but the people in my life made those moments meaningful. My holiday routine looks much different now, but it is much more meaningful to me. My heart overflows with joy for choosing to cultivate relationships, especially with my husband! Jay and I are very fortunate to be able to see Christmas 2020 through the eyes of our 22-month-old nephew! Watching his development this year has been magical – his first words, his first steps, his expressive eyes and his sense of curiosity and wonder. We FaceTime with him every day, and he melts our hearts when he says our names. We love him to pieces. When we visited him for Thanksgiving, we witnessed my dad play Santa for AJ on Black Friday. Those moments are permanently imprinted on my heart!

In addition to an abundance of miraculous moments filled with meaning, my adult Christmas list this year includes perfect health, joy, happiness and prosperity for my family and friends. I especially pray for a miracle cure for Nathan the Superhero (https://www.facebook.com/nathancrushcancer ), and I ask for my readers to continue their prayers for him as well. His parents have begun a new treatment protocol for him under the guidance of the physicians at Sloan. The treatment is intense and includes surgery and chemotherapy. He will receive his first Holy Communion this weekend, and we pray the presence of Jesus heals his body! I conclude this blog with an excerpt from my book, which was completed in December of 2014 – another miracle in the Season of Miracles:

As I conclude a project in which I have been completely absorbed for the better part of a year, I cannot help but reflect on the time of year that my book is finally complete – the Advent season. Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year, so, with the completion of my project, the season of miracles begins. Life is cyclical. The Advent season holds the promise of the birth of the Christ child. Joy and hope abound, as we heartily sing Veni, Veni Emmanuel – O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Verse one of this song beckons the Son of God to come in order to “ransom captive Israel.” We crave a savior. Verse two proclaims: “O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high, and order all things far and nigh, to us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go.” It mirrors God’s universal power to create order out of chaos and thus increase our understanding of universal law. Verse four implores the savior to deliver his chosen people from all whom might do them harm and then provide final victory over the grave. The final verse declares: “O come, Desire of the nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind; bid every strife and quarrel cease and fill the world with heaven’s peace.” The song thus concludes with the desire of the people to join hearts or become one and thus experience the peace of heaven via the Prince of Peace. The chorus, which follows each verse, proclaims, “Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel.” We rejoice at the coming of the savior because Emmanuel assures us that “God is with us.” We can bubble-over with joy because God will not abandon us. This song is sung in the Dorian mode, which was the Church mode the ancient Greeks believed promoted perfect health. At the very least, this song raises one’s vibration to match that of the divine. All is well. “I Am” is with us.

This book is the result of nearly forty years of life experiences. The first five chapters highlight the earthly roles of our precious Savior and thus demonstrate that God is at the center of every project, including this one. Theology and science overlap in regard to time and eternity and health and healing. Music and sound serve to unite these two disciplines, and art mirrors the Creator and the laws of the universe. I was able to enjoy the process of linking all of these different subjects together because I have had to present lecture material to students of different majors in a meaningful way for over a decade. I hope I have succeeded in penning a cohesive narrative that reflects my quest for truth. The final two chapters demonstrate how the pop culture of my generation reflects the Creator. We crave a taste of heaven on earth and thus try to mirror the highest ideals of the divine in our works of art, including pop art! I hope my passion and enthusiasm for the material I have researched and discussed is palpable because this project has been a labor of love. I hope my music moves you to experience some type of emotion and that you can feel close to God as you listen to the sound of my flute! It is a reflection of my soul. The Word or sound created the universe, and all matter reflects the Creator. His hand is in everything meaningful and enduring. He has guided my project to completion and has given me the courage to mirror my soul through the written word and a silver flute! My prayer for you, dear readers, is that miracles touch your lives and hearts. Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

Tania M. DeVizia

Elkins Park, PA

December, 2014

Merry Christmas!!!