Let $p$ and $q$ be integers. The group $K=SO(p) \times SO(q)$ can be naturally seen as a subgroup of $G=SO(p+q)$. The quotient space $G/K$ is identified with the space of oriented $p$-dimensional subspaces of $\mathbb R^{p+q}$, and carries an action of $G$ (by left multiplication).
A spherical function is a $C^\infty$ function on $G/K$ which is also invariant under left multiplication by $K$, which takes value $1$ at $eK$ and which is an eigenfunction of all $G$-invariant differential operators on $K/U$. I am not familiar with this subject (all I know comes from my reading of Helgason's book "Groups and geometric analysis: integral geometry, invariant differential operators, and spherical functions"), and I am wondering whether all the spherical functions are explicitely described somewhere. I am mainly interested in the case when $q=p$ or $q=p+1$.
I know that the spherical functions are described in term of the irreducible finite-dimensional spherical representations of $G$, by the formula $g\mapsto \int_K \chi(g^{-1} k) dk$, where $\chi$ is the character of an irreducible finite-dimensional spherical representation of $G$. If I understood correctly these representations are explicitely described in terms of their higher weight, and Weyl's formulas give the dimension and the character of the representation in term of this weight.
Is it possible to be more explicit? In the last pages of Helgason's book, the rank one case is treated. Hoogenboom made computations for $G=SU(p+q)$ and $K=SU(p)\times SU(q)$, but I was not able to find a reference for the real case.
I am already interested in the case $p=q=2$.