The Anthem of Europe to the rendition of the Bulgarian National Radio Children’s Choir is the special music message sent by the State Cultural Institute with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian National Radio on occasion of the Day of Europe-May 9.

The hymn is based on the “Ode of Joy” from the final movement of Bethoven’s 9^th Symphony composed in 1823. The Ninth Symphony is believed to be the first example of a major composer using singers in a symphonic piece. Friedrich Schiller wrote the poem “An die Freude” (“To Joy”) in 1785 as a celebration of the brotherhood of man. After Schiller’s death, the poem provided the words for the choral movement of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony.

In 1971, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe decided to propose adopting the prelude to the “Ode of Joy” from Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony as an anthem. Renowned conductor Herbert von Karajan was asked to write three instrumental arrangements- for solo piano, for wind instruments and for symphonic orchestra. Of course, the Anthem of Europe has choral versions as well, such as the recording used by the Bulgarian National Radio and the State Cultural Institute as a greeting on occasion of the Day of Europe.