Commissioned by Northern Orchestral Enterprises for the Yorkshire Youth Orchestra's Summer 1998 course, The Overture is designed to be an exuberantly outhful piece of teamwork with which to begin a concert programme, and a noisy way of instilling confidence and dispelling nervousness whilst at the same time being a showcase of orchestral skill and rhythmic expertise. The commission was made possible with financial assistance from Yorkshire & Hiumberside Arts and British Reserve.