A LYMINGTON man has explored 300 South Pacific islands in a quest to track down some of the most unusual music known to man.

Anthony Copping, 38, was commissioned to make a film, Last Voices from Heaven, for National Geographic television.

While making the programme, due to be screened at 10pm tomorrow and next Friday night, September 17, he braved cyclones, civil wars, volcanic eruptions and threats to his life with spears, bows and arrows and guns.

Accompanied by Solomon Islands-born singer and guitarist Pascal Oritaimae and one cameraman he set off to explore the islands of Vanuatu, the Solomons and West Papua in Melanesia.

The team sought out the most remote villages travelling by log canoe along uncharted rivers and into deep, unexplored jungle.

The recordings they made included ritual and ceremonial songs.

In most cases he was the first white person to hear them.

Mainly the islanders were welcoming. But there were exceptions.

"We got held up. There were guns and machetes and there were a lot of upset people because they've been displaced and they've had a really hard time," said Anthony. "We had occasions when we thought we were going to be attacked and a lot of times when we simply had to run away."

He has made an album based on traditional sources which is being released to coincide with the programmes.

His intention is to donate part of the proceeds to promote island cultural centres and ultimately he wants to set up a music school.

"The islands are being invaded by western culture and realistically we can't save all of this traditional music.

"But if we can help to preserve some of it, then we will have achieved something," he said.

Anthony spent his schooldays at Priestlands School, Lymington, and at Brockenhurst College.

For the past 15 years he has been based in Aust-ralia but still regularly travels home to see his mother Brenda, who now lives in Mudeford, and sisters Susan, Wendy and Sara and brother Stephen.

First published: Sept 9