| Composer | Music |
| John Gay | The Beggars' Opera (overture) |
| Vaughan Williams | The Poisoned Kiss (overture) |
| Arnold | Overture: Leonora No.4 |
| Boyce | Symphony No.1 |
| Lord Berners | Cupid and Psyche (overture) |
| Vaughan Williams | The Wasps (overture) |
| Holst | Fugal overture |
| Rawsthorne | SOverture: treet Corner |
| Walton | Overture: Portsmouth Point |
| Arnold | Overture: Tam O'Shanter |
| William Belzard | Overture: Caramba |
| Lionel Monckton/Arthur Wood | The Arcadians (overture) |
| Sullivan | Overture: Di Ballo |
| Eric Coates | Overture: The Merrymakers |
A programme consisting entirely of overtures might seem too much of a good thing, but Brian has chosen music of wide variety to illustrate the different ways in which the word "overture" has been (and is) used. There are overtures which are definitely "to" something such as an opera, ballet or play - beginnings indeed. Even the Boyce symphony falls into this category, "symphony" not having the meaning in Boyce's time that it acquired later. Then there are "concert overtures" which are meant to stand as works in their own right. Many of the latter could equally well be described as miniature tone poems.