Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Flourish for Glorious John (1957) was written as a short ceremonial opener for Sir John Barbirolli to inaugurate the Hallé Orchestra’s centenary season; it is a compact fanfare-like orchestral piece lasting roughly 2 minutes. Musically the piece is a bright, concise flourish: spirited brass-led figures, crisp rhythmic drones and a lively orchestral thrust produce an extrovert, celebratory effect rather than extended development. Its 59 bars of compact material are handled with Vaughan Williams’s economy and colour, making it effective as a concert opener or ceremonial callback.

In practice the work is scored for full orchestra and functions as a short, high-impact item requiring clean articulation and balanced brass and percussion so the fanfare figures project without overwhelming the ensemble. It has since become a convenient curtain-raiser in Vaughan Williams discography and concert programmes.