Against such a desolate and total obliteration of the good, human creativity and the assertion of the human spirit stand immovable, indestructible. This symphony is a strongly positive statement, a celebration of the Phoenix arising from the fire. The musical means whereby Whettam treats a theme of such universal and heroic importance are correspondingly on a large scale. The symphony is in three interconnected movements. Whettam's symphonic style is individual.
Unisons abound, both within the same family, and between different families.
His idiom is that of extended tonality, and the symphony has C as its tonal centre, but it is based not so much on a scale as on the expressive use of intervals. The symphony opens with an assertive tremolando G in octaves from the violins, reinforced by six horns. Above this is heard a motif for unison flutes and oboes, with a marked triplet figure. This triplet is almost omnipresent, and characterises the whole symphony. The main theme is announced by the lower strings, then repeated between upper and lower strings, with the six unison horns between them playing an augmented version of the triplet motif.