The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PRELUDES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
P
R
E
L
U
D
E
S
Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PRELUDES mean?
PRELUDES verb- To introduce something, as a prelude.
- To play an introduction or prelude; to give a prefatory performance.