Pupils from Malmesbury schools will open the WOMAD festival again when they perform tonight with the Dhol Foundation.

Children from schools in Malmesbury, Minety, Crudwell and Lea and Garsdon have been working hard to get ready for their curtain-raising show.

As part of the preparations, they performed a concert last Tuesday in front of a packed audience in Malmesbury Abbey.

Angelique Williamson of Malmesbury Primary School said the pupils were buzzing afterwards.

She said: “It was absolutely fantastic. They were all talking about it afterwards and the next day. One pupil told me it was the best thing they had ever done.

“The concert was probably the best kind of preparation we could have got.

“They are extremely excited now and are really looking forward to getting out there on the WOMAD stage.”

The pupils have been working alongside the Dhol Foundation throughout the week and will have one final rehearsal today.

Mrs Williamson said the whole process had helped build relationships between children who will go on to be schoolmates at Malmesbury Secondary School.

She said: “It’s been wonderful for the primary pupils to work alongside the older pupils from the secondary school.

“There have also been lots of children from the same year group who have made friends at different primary schools.”