The greatest Hungarian cultural event in forestry „Singing forest” celebrates its 5-year jubilee in 2008.
In 2002 on a summer weekend Lajos Szabó and his musician friends decided to link somehow the beauty of forest and music. The idea was followed by actions, and an unprecedented cultural initiative came to life in 2003.
„Singing forest” is the greatest event in the region that is realised through the participation of 13 settlements.
On the press conference held in the „Bertalan Székely” hall of the Hungarian State Opera Zoltán Zétényi – press secretary of the event – interpreted the greeting of dr. József Pető, chairman of the Hungarian Association of Forestry, after the overture of Sándor Mészáros horn player artist.
He said that the association with a great history founded in 1851 has published the second oldest Hungarian paper, „Erdészeti Lapok”. Moreover this year foresters celebrate a professional jubilee with great importance, because forestry university education was launched 200 years ago in Selmec – the old Alma Mater.
During the university education students grow familiar not only with biology and engineering, but also with forest-aesthetics. What’s more, they enter into the ground of pedagogy, as the forestry organisations operate 30 forest schools in Hungary.
He noted that a Hungarian forest engineer proposed the three functions of the forest on the forestry world congress in Buenos Aires in 1972. Besides the economic and the protective functions, the public welfare function also became admitted.
„Singing forest” event is the greatest public welfare activity on the highest level.
Of course besides these activities the traditional professional work is not pushed into the background, as the one-fifth of the Hungarian forests are under protection, and they are a good example of the precedent foresters’ competence.
The primary aim is the care, protection and reproduction of the forests for the future generations. And once a year publicity is pampered with such a cultural delicacy.

Lajos Vass, chief director of the Hungarian State Opera expressed his pleasure in providing a scene for the opening event of “Singing Forest – Mátra Art Days”. He appreciated the work of the organizers, because as the leader of a real cultural „factory” he feels the burdens and responsibility of such a huge event. He highlighted the role of settlements and the contribution of the artists of the Opera. One, who hasn’t been to this magic event, surely loses a lot – added the chief director.

Chief organizer Lajos Szabó noted those alarming phenomena with which people meet day by day around the world – environmental diseases, deforestation of rain forests or other various manifestations of aggression. Many people think there is no way out from this crisis.
On the contrary Lajos Szabó believes we must trust in common future and in the problem solving. For this we need to create harmony with nature. We must protect forests and clean environment.
The ultimate condition for the above mentioned is the existence of physical and mental balance of the present-day people. Art is essential for this.
„Singing forest” tries to reach this aim by its own means, and to call the attention to the frailty of human existence and to the power of human creative potency.
In the wonderful hall of the forest one admires not only the huge, beautiful trees and the biodiversity, but also the lights, sounds and smells can provide magic impression on our sense organs.
The chief organizer emphasized that the connection of the forest and classical music makes the event unique.
He said besides the concerts in the forest there are also concerts in churches, walking in the forest, forums and art-exhibitions in the program. The organizers didn’t forget about gastronomy, rural tourism and the hospitality of the people living among the Mátra mountains. They also paid attention to children, and organized musical camp and folk-dance camp in the forest.
This year sport events are also included in the programs: orienteering competition and performance hiking.
Primarily the artists of the Hungarian State Opera can be seen, but the graduating students of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music also perform. The artists of the region also appear: Salgótarjáni Brass Band Quintett and the pupils of music schools.
Budapest Brass Band Quintett, Primavera Wind Instrument Quintett, Irén Lovász singer artist and Róbert Várallyay organ artist are a few from the performers’ list.
Lajos Szabó gladly said that in 2008 „Singing forest” becomes international, as the Podjavorská Muzika band is a guest performer that calls up the spirit of playing music under the maple-trees. 
The shrine in Szentkút is the scene of a chorus meeting.
This year music programs are characterised by renaissance pieces of art.
The opening ceremony is in Kozárd, 5. July, 2 PM. In the andesite-mine the Vadászkamara Horn Band and the Budapest Brass Band Quintett performs. In the evening the „Wine Knights of the Opera House” (Operaházi Borlovagok) performs renaissance tunes.
The ending ceremony is in Fenyvespuszta, where the Kiskunlacházi Junior Wind Instrument band, the Musica Mansueta Chamber Music band, the Podjavorská Muzika bandand the Corpus Harsona Quartett perform. The „Singing forest” trumpet sounds from three mountain peaks.
The evening of forest dishes and the show of Salgó Sramli band follow.