Over 17,000 children and young people from the choirs and ensembles of the National Cantus Mundi Programme will gather simultaneously on Saturday in Romania and the Republic of Moldova to mark 'Earth Hour' with concerts, recitals and musical events, aiming to send a message of solidarity and harmony with the Earth.

According to a press release the Madrigal Choir sent on Tuesday to AGERPRES, the event will take place between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM and will include activities in each of the 41 counties of Romania and in Bucharest, as well as in the Republic of Moldova.

At 8:30 PM, electrical appliances will be disconnected, the lights will be turned off for one hour, and children, along with conductors, music teachers, parents and their friends, will sing in public spaces, schools, parks, squares and gardens for the health of the Earth and the environment, as well as against the wastefulness that affects the planet.

For the first time this year, the music will also be accessible to children with hearing impairments, with the lyrics being translated into Romanian sign language by the CODA Farmecul Tacerii Foundation.

In Bucharest, 'Earth Hour' will be celebrated by Cantus Mundi with two events. At the Comic Opera for Children, over 250 children and young people, along with conductors, parents and friends, will participate, while at Casa Eliad, over 500 children will sing together to change the world for the better through music, involvement and responsibility towards nature.

'Maramures is the county with a record participation, with over 3,500 children, and Baia Mare is once again among the top cities with over 2,900 children, hosting this year the largest number of choristers who will sing in Piata Cetatii (next to the Stefan Tower), at Campia Tineretului (at the Statue of the Romanian Soldier), in the courtyard of 'Dimitrie Cantemir' Middle School, and in the courtyard of the Sports High School in Baia Mare. Over 800 children will sing at the Orthodox Cathedral Plateau in Oradea, over 700 children will gather for a recital in front of the 'Dunarea de Jos' University in Galati, while over 600 children will sing for the planet at the Braila Town Hall Plateau,' the source says.

The largest 'Earth Hour' event with Cantus Mundi in a commune in Romania will take place in Branesti, Ilfov County, where 450 children will sing at No 1 School and in the Central Park.

Choirs can still register for the project, and the list of 'Earth Hour' events with Cantus Mundi across the country will be updated on the Cantus Mundi website and on the Cantus Mundi Romania Facebook page.

Known worldwide as 'Earth Hour,' the event is organised by WWF and was first held in Sydney, Australia, on March 31, 2007, by the World Wildlife Fund. Since then, every year on the last Saturday of March, millions of people, institutions and companies turn off the lights for one hour, joining the largest environmental event in history. The 19th edition of 'Earth Hour' will take place on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 8:30 PM.

After 14 years of activity and 11 years since its official recognition, Cantus Mundi brings together 2,289 choirs in Romania and the diaspora. Over 80,000 children participate with their conductors in promoting choral singing, overcoming barriers related to ethnicity, social status and physical or mental abilities, thus creating complex cultural nuclei. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)