More than 100 carol singers gathered at the event Symphony of the Magic of Christmas performed carols in nine languages at Mariaffi Castle in Sangeorgiu de Mures, in a show organised by the Democratic Union of Italians in Romania (UDI) to mark the National Minorities Day.
"On National Minorities Day, Mariaffi Castle in Sangeorgiu de Mures became a meeting place for cultures, traditions and emotions. One hundred voices resonated in carols sung in nine languages as part of the Symphony of the Magic of Christmas, an event dedicated to diversity and coexistence. We wanted National Minorities Day to be lived, not just marked. Through music, poetry and painting, we sought to bring together different communities united by respect and the joy of being together. Mariaffi Castle is a place where identities do not fade, but meet. We are not the same, and this is God's gift. Different, yet together, we bring joy," Corina Ceausescu, president of the Democratic Union of Italians in Romania and organiser of the event, told AGERPRES on Friday.
The event aimed to highlight the traditions and talent of minority communities, demonstrating that differences are a source of cultural richness.
"I presented this show together with Iren Moldovan and was extremely happy to see how music, poetry and painting built bridges beyond languages and cultures. Visual art complemented this symphony of diversity through the exhibition The Colours That Unite Us, where ten painters from Gheorgheni, Sangeorgiu de Mures and Campulung Muscel, representing minority communities, displayed their works. Each painting told a story of identity, memory and belonging, adding depth and colour to the message of unity. The opening moment was both symbolic and moving: five-year-old Alex Rizoli opened the show, proving that sometimes the most beautiful messages come from the hearts of children," Corina Ceausescu showed.
She also highlighted a special performance by the male choir Speranta (Hope) of the Gabor community [group of Romani people in Transylvania, known for their strong traditions, unique customs, editor's note], which surprised the audience with three carols sung in Romanian and Romani, while the Deutsche Singgruppe from Reghin, part of the Democratic Forum of Germans and led by teacher Zey Martina, moved the audience with German-language carols.
"The atmosphere was enhanced by a unique gesture: the mayor of Sangeorgiu de Mures, Sofalvi Szabolcs, sang carols alongside the audience and played the violin, creating a moment of genuine closeness. One of the highlights of the evening was performer Szanto Arpad, who brought the audience to its feet with an energetic and joyful rendition of the popular carol Feliz Navidad, sung together with the crowd in a truly festive atmosphere. The hall at Mariaffi Castle proved too small, with around 90 people standing until the end of the show, as all seats were taken. As the event was dedicated to Christmas, admission was free," the UDI president added.
During the event, the Soli Deo Gloria Choir performed a fragment from Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco, while Giordano Altarozzi, dean of the Faculty of Letters at UMFST Targu Mures, spoke about the magic of Christmas and what it means to be Italian while living in Romania.
"Poetry also had a special place. Priest-poet Baricz Lajos recited a sonnet he wrote, translated into Romanian by Iren Moldovan and myself. 'There are moments when words are no longer enough. Then poetry speaks for us,' and this message came to life through the verses of poet Vasilica Roata, who carried the audience into the heart of Christmas. Simon Kinga and the Jubilate Ensemble moved the audience with Ave Maria sung in Latin, while church choirs gave voice to the community in its purest form. The choir of Orthodox Church No. 2, led by priest Eugen Baraian, and the carol singers of Orthodox Church No. 1 in Sangeorgiu de Mures, led by priest Gigel Roata, performed traditional carols with great skill and traditional instruments. Although she had lost her voice earlier in the day, folk singer Maria Butila sang with the devotion of a true artist alongside the entire audience, showing that folklore preserves the soul of a people and tells stories that never grow old," Corina Ceausescu said.
She also mentioned folk singer Carmen Dobos, a student at the Gheorghe Dima Conservatory in Cluj-Napoca, who performed three carols and "brought the audience closer to its roots through a warm voice and a deeply sensitive presence".
"Other much-appreciated moments were delivered by children and young people from the Children's Palace and the School of Folk Arts in Targu Mures. It was an evening about diversity, identity and the joy of being together an evening in which Mariaffi Castle became, for a few hours, the living heart of the community," the president of the Democratic Union of Italians in Romania and organiser of the event concluded.
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