This suite of five miniatures, none of which exceeds two minutes in length, was written for Yehudi Menuhin to take on a US tour with him as a set of encores. Arnold's innate capacity for invention springs to the fore here, allowing him to create five completely individual and sparkling miniatures worthy of the performer's technique. The music ranges from brusque to lyrical, often within the same movement, but always requires the fullest commitment from the violinist. The Baroque dance suite serves as the model for form to a degree, but the music is uniquely Arnold: the Aubade is based on a Indian raga, the Ballad is derived from the Arioso from his own 1955 ballet Rinaldo and Armida and the jazz-like Moto perpetuo is dedicated to the legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker.

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