TEENAGERS, pensioners, and everything in between performed to a sell-out audience to celebrate a burgeoning community choir movement.
The BIG Sing's BIG Fest saw 500 people across 21 choirs come together at Chelmsford's Civic Theatre on Saturday for a day of workshops and performance.
BIG Sing director Gemma Francis said: "It's the second year we have done this.
"The idea is we have quite a few choirs now and we wanted to bring the choirs in one place to unite together, and also invite other choirs along to appreciate each other and the different styles of music."
The 17 BIG Sing choirs across Essex, Kent, Buckinghamshire and London were joined by five independent choirs.
It saw London Community Gospel Choir's Bazil Meade and X-Factor voice coach Daniel Thomas come down to coach the choirs on topics such as their movement and how to warm up their voices.
Every choir later performed on stage before the event culminated in the 22 choirs singing two songs they had learnt with their guest tutors.
Gemma, 31, of Holst Avenue, Witham, who is married to fellow director and founder Howard, 51, said: "Last year we had about 350 in the theatre and everyone was saying could they do it again.
"This year, we sold out and we got people up on stage who would never get up there by themselves."
The choir festival marks a remarkable three years for the BIG sing, which was initially a short-term project of Gemma and Howard to assemble a choir for the Witham carnival in six weeks.
There are now BIG sing choirs in Witham, Maldon and Chelmsford, Brentwood and Rayleigh, as well as ones for children and professionals.
Gemma, who toured with the London Community Gospel Choir for eight years and performed alongside the likes of James Brown and Amy Whitehouse, added: "It feels amazing to have got this big,"
For information, contact Gemma on 0844 740 7403 or visit www.big-sing.com
