In ‘A Summer Holiday’ Patrick Millstone takes us with him on a journey. After a year’s hard work we may finally enjoy a well-earned holiday. The first part of this three-part composition has the appropriate title ‘On Tour’. When we chose our holiday destination the brochure said that it would be bathed in sunlight every day. Unfortunately this turns out not to be the case. Somewhat melancholically we play round games in our summer house on a ‘Rainy Day’. However the next day when the sun again has driven away all the clouds we naturally visit the ‘Crowded Beach’ where we enjoy both sun sea and beach once again.

Shelter Island is a small island situated near the end of Long Island a few hours drive east of New York. In the summer it becomes a crowded tourist trap but in the winter it is gloriously deserted and bravely faces the onslaught of the turbulent Atlantic shrouded in sea mists and driving rain. This brass band transcription by Phillip Littlemore is of the first movement of East Coast Pictures originally written for wind band and was commissioned in 1985 by the British Youth Wind Orchestra with funds from National Westminster Bank plc. These three short ‘pictures’ were inspired by several visits by the composer to a small part of the USA’sEast Coast an area that provides great extremes in the geography and the people.

East Coast Pictures originally written for wind band have now been transcribed by Phillip Littlemore introducing these exciting programmatic pieces to a wider audience. These three short ‘pictures’ were inspired by several visits by the composer to a small part of the USA’s East Coast an area that provides great extremes in the geography and the people. Shelter Island is a small island situated almost at the end of Long Island a few hours’ drive east of New York. In the summer it becomes a crowded tourist trap but in the winter it is gloriously deserted and bravely faces the onslaught of the turbulent Atlantic shrouded in sea mists anddriving rain. In upstate New York lie the Catskill Mountains an extraordinary combination of tranquillity and power peace and majesty. Once seen they call you back again and again. New York ...or to be precise Manhattan. For anyone who is familiar with this bizarre and wonderful city this ‘picture’ needs no explanation. For those not yet hooked here is a foretaste of things to come.