Eight children attending a French youth choir concert at a church near Harvard University were hospitalized Tuesday evening after experiencing seizure-like symptoms, according to local officials.
The Cambridge Fire Department said the incidents occurred at St. Paul's Parish in Harvard Square, where the Chœur d'Enfants d'Île-de-France was performing as part of its 2025 U.S. tour.
Context
St. Paul's Parish, which co-hosted the concert with the Harvard Catholic Center, had promoted the event as a free performance featuring sacred and secular works by the renowned French youth choir, which was founded in 1970.
"Founded in 1970, the youth choir has travelled extensively and performed with some of the world's top conductors and soloists," St. Paul's said. "The concert will feature and exciting mix of sacred and secular repertoire, as well as popular French songs."
What to Know
Firefighters initially responded to a report of a single child having a seizure during the 6 p.m. performance, but upon arrival at approximately 7:30 p.m., found that seven additional children had developed similar symptoms. The children were between the ages of 11 and 13.
Fire Chief Thomas Cahill told WCVB-TV, "That quickly escalated into seven other people having seizure-like symptoms."
None of the symptoms were considered life-threatening, and approximately 70 other attendees were unaffected, officials said.
Newsweek has reached out to the Cambridge Fire Department via email on Wednesday afternoon for comment.
According to the Harvard Crimson, as of Wednesday morning, the seven children have been released from hospitals. St. Paul's wrote in a Wednesday statement that the children had "a clean bill of health" when they left for their next concert in Maine.
A hazardous materials team conducted a thorough air quality inspection of the church buildings using specialized air sampling equipment and found no indication of dangerous substances. The buildings were later ventilated as a precaution, the department said in a statement.
Requests for comment from the Associated Press were sent to St. Paul's, but no response was received. The Harvard Catholic Center, which serves as the Catholic chaplaincy for Harvard University and nearby institutions, directed AP inquiries to the fire department.
What People Are Saying
Cahill told the Boston Globe on Wednesday, "At this time, we are not sure of what caused the reaction."
The St. Paul's parish statement said Wednesday, "The choir left Massachusetts en route to a concert in Bangor, Maine. We were grateful to have them."
Update: 7/23/25, 5 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Update: 7/23/25, 5:22 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
