A free children’s choir performance at a historic Massachusetts church took a frightening turn Tuesday night when eight young singers were suddenly struck with seizure-like symptoms mid-concert, sending emergency crews scrambling and parents into panic.

The incident occurred at St. Paul’s Parish in Cambridge around 7 p.m. as the Chœur d’Enfants d’Île-de-France, a French youth choir touring the U.S., was performing. According to local reports, one child initially collapsed, prompting a 911 call—but within moments, seven others began exhibiting similar symptoms.

Emergency responders from the Cambridge Fire Department, including hazmat and rescue units, rushed to the scene. The entire church was evacuated and ventilated, but investigators reported no detectable toxins, gases, or hazardous materials. Despite the scare, no other audience members were affected, and the cause of the children’s illness remains a mystery.

“This was somewhat unusual. It was a routine medical call that quickly escalated into transporting eight children to the hospital. Not common,” said Cambridge Fire Chief Thomas Cahill.

The afflicted children, aged 11 to 13, reportedly complained of feeling sick during the performance and mentioned a strange odor in the building. All eight were transported to nearby hospitals for observation and treatment. As of now, their conditions have not been publicly updated.

St. Paul’s Parish had promoted the concert just the day before, highlighting the French choir’s long legacy of global performances since 1970 and promising a blend of sacred and secular music. The event was meant to be a cultural celebration—until it became a medical emergency.

Despite intensive testing, officials have yet to determine what triggered the alarming symptoms. Theories range from an unknown environmental irritant to a possible mass psychogenic illness, though neither has been confirmed.

The Cambridge Fire Department said the church has been cleared and deemed safe for reentry. No further incidents have been reported, and investigations remain ongoing.

Parents of the performers and concertgoers are left with more questions than answers. The sudden and unexplained nature of the incident has sparked widespread concern—and renewed focus on venue safety, especially during summer tours and events involving children.

As speculation continues, authorities are urging calm and patience while they sift through the facts.

Whether this was an isolated fluke or a warning of something more serious remains to be seen. For now, the mystery lingers—alongside deep relief that all eight children survived.