Nicholas Maw’s Summer Dances for orchestra was written in 1981. The 24-minute piece is intended for young and novice musicians of varying abilities. An opening fanfare returns to connect each of the six dance episodes, which vary in mood and style – the first is athletic, the third a folksong, the fourth a mini-ballet, the sixth Mediterranean in character. Summer Dances can be tailored to its performers, with the option to omit the final two dances, resulting in a piece of 12 minutes duration. Maw includes suggestions for alternative instrumentation depending on the forces available to performers, including a supplementary piano part.