Battles was written for the restoration of the epic 1927 silent film The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands, and was commissioned by the British Film Institute (BFI) in 2013. The work presents eight contrasting scenes as a continuous sequence: "War, Introduction of Admiral von Spee," "German Banquet," "Building Steam/Preparing," "Islanders," "Call to Arms," "Great Battle at Sea," and "Victory." The original score was written for a small chamber orchestra, symphonic brass, and a substantial battery of tuned and untuned percussion. Battles has been edited for symphonic wind orchestra with percussion and harp.