A trumpet player himself, Arnold wrote frequently and sympathetically for wind instruments. One of his earliest works is a now-lost Quintet for winds, Op. 2, from 1942. The following year Arnold returned to the wind quintet for his Shanties, which were memorably first performed in an aircraft hangar at the Filton Aerodrome, Bristol, around August 1943 by the London Philharmonic Orchestra Wind Quintet.

Each of these three pieces is based on an authentic sea shanty. The first movement employs one of the best known of all such songs, "What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?" It begins with a polyphonic development of part of the tune, turns dark for a moment, but regains its high spirits with a humorous tango-like interlude. The sweet second piece, which uses the tune "Boney Was a Warrior," is in a flowing triple meter. The rhythmically complex and lively final movement, based on "Johnny Come Down to Hilo," is full of humor and quick tempo changes. The playfulness, insouciance, and technical challenges that are such prominent elements in the Shanties have made them a favorite with wind quintets worldwide.

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