▁is ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁part ▁not ▁over t ly ▁p ict orial ▁in ▁its ▁presentation ▁of ▁London . ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁ins isted ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁" self - express ive , ▁and ▁must ▁stand ▁or ▁fall ▁as ▁' absolute ' ▁music ". ▁There ▁are ▁some ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁urban ▁sounds cape : ▁brief ▁impress ions ▁of ▁street ▁music , ▁with ▁the ▁sound ▁of ▁the ▁bar rel ▁organ ▁m im icked ▁by ▁the ▁or chestra ; ▁the ▁characteristic ▁chant ▁of ▁the ▁lav ender - s eller ; ▁the ▁j ing le ▁of ▁hans om ▁c abs ; ▁and ▁the ▁ch imes ▁of ▁Big ▁Ben ▁played ▁by ▁har p ▁and ▁clar inet . ▁But ▁comment ators ▁have ▁heard — and ▁the ▁composer ▁never ▁denied ▁or ▁confirmed — some ▁social ▁comment ▁in ▁sin ister ▁echo es ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁sch er zo ▁and ▁an ▁orch est ral ▁out bur st ▁of ▁pain ▁and ▁desp air ▁at ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁finale . ▁Schw art z ▁comments ▁that ▁the ▁sym phony , ▁in ▁its ▁" un ified ▁presentation ▁of ▁widely ▁heter ogeneous ▁elements ", ▁is ▁" very ▁much ▁like ▁the ▁city ▁itself ". ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁said ▁in ▁his ▁later ▁years ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁his ▁favour ite ▁of ▁the ▁sym phon ies . ▁ ▁The ▁last ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁group ▁is ▁A ▁Past oral ▁Sym phony ▁( 1 9 2 1 ). ▁The ▁first ▁three ▁movements ▁are ▁for ▁or chestra ▁alone ; ▁a ▁word less ▁solo ▁sop rano ▁or ▁ten or ▁voice