Unusual instrument travels 7,000 miles to pupils at a school in Fordingbridge
The giant piece was made by hand in Indonesia
Forget your traditional instruments pupils at Forres Sandle Manor School in Fordingbridge are making music with an instrumental ensemble all the way from Indonesia.
The Javanese Gamelan has been hand made in Indonesia and consists of a range of predominantly percussive instruments.
Some are played with mallets whilst hand-played drums called kendhang, register the beat.
Across Indonesia, but particularly on the islands of Java and Bali, gamelan is the most popular form of traditional music.
The name "gamelan" comes from gamel, a Javanese word for a type of hammer used by a blacksmith
The school say it's a 'fantastic addition' to its music department.
Head of Music Mrs Ali Dos Santos said
"The Gamelan at FSM is very special indeed, having been made by hand in Indonesia especially for the Hampshire Music Service and is one of a kind! I am so excited that our pupils will have a chance to experience playing this beautiful music together."
It's hoped in the future other local schools will also be able to benefit from the Gamelan