 Some music critics and admirers of Simpson’s music consider this symphony to be his finest.The work is in one, vast movement in a three-part form; a chorale-prelude style opening section which goes headlong into a giant scherzo before a slow, fugal third part which is followed by a theme and variations.The scherzo second part is often treated as an extended climax of the symphony, meaning that the structure of the whole work could be seen to be in two halves, each divided into two sections.