DOZENS of school children will take to the stage to get the party started when they open a brand new carnival event with a special singing performance.

Maldon Carnival comes to town on Saturday with the parade through the town.

This year the event will be followed by the brand new Party in the Plume which starts at 4pm on the Lower Plume School field.

The BIG Sing has been organising a performance to kick off the event, attending schools across the district to teach pupils Robbie Williams’s song I Love My Life.

Schools including St Francis Primary School in Maldon, Cold Norton Primary School and Tolleshunt D’Arcy Primary School were all visited in the last week of term ahead of the big show.

Choir director Gemma Francis said: “At The BIG Sing we always find songs that uplift and inspire people. This song does just that.

“And to hear kids singing about how much they love their lives is amazing. What better message to give them? They are powerful, they are beautiful, they are free.

“It makes me emotional every time I hear the kids singing these words at the top of their lungs. It is songs with these messages that we should be encouraging our kids to sing.”

The BIG Sing has supported Maldon Carnival this year by helping on the committee and sponsoring events.

Gemma added: “We wanted to unite as many children as possible on carnival day to get them singing this amazing song as one with The BIG Sing Choir.

“We’ve encouraged all the children to help us make this a carnival to remember.”

BIG Sing will perform a number of songs at the Party in the Plume event and there will also be bouncy castles, craft stalls, face painting, show cars, food stalls and photo booth.

The carnival procession starts at 2:15pm at Cross Road and includes marching bands, carnival queens, local clubs and community groups.