▁impression ▁on ▁the ▁listener , ▁it ▁is ▁neither ▁a ▁true ▁sym phony ▁in ▁the ▁understood ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁nor ▁a ▁tone ▁poem ▁and ▁is ▁consequ ently ▁the ▁least ▁successful ▁of ▁the ▁m ature ▁sym phon ies . ▁The ▁work ▁is ▁in ▁five ▁movements , ▁with ▁word less ▁vocal ▁lines ▁for ▁female ▁ch orus ▁and ▁solo ▁sop rano ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁last ▁movements . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁large ▁wood wind ▁and ▁per cussion ▁sections ▁the ▁score ▁features ▁a ▁prominent ▁part ▁for ▁wind ▁machine . ▁ ▁The ▁E ighth ▁Sym phony ▁( 1 9 5 6 ) ▁in ▁D ▁minor ▁is ▁notice ably ▁different ▁from ▁its ▁seven ▁prede cess ors ▁by ▁virtue ▁of ▁its ▁bre vity ▁and , ▁despite ▁its ▁minor ▁key , ▁its ▁general ▁light - heart ed ness . ▁The ▁or chestra ▁is ▁smaller ▁than ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁sym phon ies , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁the ▁per cussion ▁section , ▁which ▁is ▁particularly ▁large , ▁with , ▁as ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁put ▁it , ▁" all ▁the ▁' ph ones ' ▁and ▁' spiel s ' ▁known ▁to ▁the ▁composer ". ▁The ▁work ▁was ▁enthus iast ically ▁received ▁at ▁its ▁early ▁performances , ▁and ▁has ▁remained ▁among ▁V aug han ▁Williams ' s ▁most ▁popular ▁works . ▁ ▁The ▁final ▁sym phony , ▁the ▁N inth , ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁and ▁premier ed ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁four ▁months ▁before ▁the ▁composer ' s ▁death . ▁It ▁is