The piece is divided into six movements, played without pause, each headed by a verse from the Song of Solomon: As in his Sinfonia antartica, the quotations are intended to be read by the listener and are not part of the performance.
The quotations are:[2] In addition to the solo viola, the score calls for flute (doubling piccolo), oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, percussion (bass drum, tabor, cymbals, and triangle), harp, celesta, and strings (not to number more than: 6 first violins, 6 second violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, and 2 double basses).
The first performance of Flos Campi, on 10 October 1925, was conducted by Sir Henry Wood, with the Queen's Hall Orchestra, violist Lionel Tertis (the dedicatee), and voices from the Royal College of Music.
[5] Initial reactions to the piece were mixed; Gustav Holst, a fellow composer and close friend of Vaughan Williams, said he "couldn't get hold of it," for which he was disappointed more with himself than with the work.
In a program note for a 1927 performance, Vaughan Williams admitted that "The title Flos Campi was taken by some to connote an atmosphere of 'buttercups and daisies....'"[6] In reality, the piece is unabashedly sensual and lushly orchestrated, which is quite appropriate considering its subject matter.