HIS passion for the music of Mantovani has made media headlines around the world.

Percussionist Paul Barrett, a lifelong Mantovani enthusiast, has devoted years to keeping the music of the great orchestra leader alive.

The retired businessman, who lives in Poole, has also invested close to half a million pounds to recreate the cascading string sound that proved so popular back in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

Although he had his doubters at the time, his last gala concert in 2016 went on to sell nearly 1,500 tickets.

Now Paul is back with another lavish tribute to Mantovani who spent several years in the 1970s living in retirement in Poole's Branksome Park.

He has now recruited dozens of top musicians to perform a gala concert, Mantovani Movie Magic, at Bournemouth Pavilion theatre on Sunday, October 8.

Although Mantovani is not widely known today, the bandleader was Britain's most successful album act before the Beatles and the first act to sell over a million albums.

Together with conductor Gavin Sutherland and leader Geoffrey Allan, Paul has constructed an exact replica of the great Mantovani Orchestra.

The 2017 Mantovani blockbuster will feature the voices of Rossano Sal & Jemma Truss with concert pianist Sam Hanson.

Paul who will play percussion, promises a "magnificent one night show".

"This brand new blockbuster show will feature the finest music from the silver screen," says the man who says that meeting Mantovani at the age of 13 after a concert in Sheffield was a major turning point in his life.

He persuaded the maestro's long-standing percussionist Charles Botterill to give him lessons and, over the years, perfected every arrangement in the massive Mantovani repertoire.

Paul, who ran a builders’ merchants by day, kept his musical hand in by working as a percussionist in the orchestra pit of a big Sheffield Theatre. He played with all the major musicals but yearned to perform with Mantovani.

He admits that he secretly hoped that one day Botterill would be taken ill before concert and he would be called in to save the day. It wasn't to be. The percussionist stayed with Mantovani to the end and he never missed a gig.

Tickets for Mantovani Movie Magic range from £29.50 to £20. To book, call 0844 576 3000 or online at bhlivetickets.co.uk.