The Fantasy for Brass Band was written for England's 1974 National Brass Band Championships, which took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The Cory Band conducted by Major H.A. Kenney is credited with the work's first performance, on October 5, 1974, at the Championships, but as it was used as a test piece in a sense, the Fantasy received some 19 first performances by different competitors. As an aside, the work's opus number 114 was mistakenly assigned as well to the Two John Donne Songs, with which the Fantasy has nothing else in common.

In six connected sections running some ten minutes, the Fantasy begins with a Prelude, the movement's fanfare-like open and close surrounding a more sentimental tune given to the flügelhorn. A rather serious-minded, melancholy Dance follows, and the dark mood continues in the Elegy, a slow, sad chorale. The Scherzo, with its flurry of rapidly tongued notes, is an exciting display piece. It is interrupted by the Postlude, which returns to the opening fanfare, and a Vivace that looks back to the Scherzo theme and wraps up the work with an exciting flourish.

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