It was written for the Leeds Triennial Festival for which Walton had composed Belshazzar's Feast in 1931, but it failed to gain the popularity of the earlier work and is comparatively infrequently performed.
Walton set words by the Scottish poet William Dunbar, who wrote here not in Gaelic but in English of a broadly Chaucerian character.
Soveraign of cities, semeliest in sight, Of high renoun, riches, and royaltie; Of lordis, barons, and many goodly knyght; Of most delectable lusty ladies bright; Of famous prelatis in habitis clericall; Of merchauntis full of substaunce and myght: London, thou art the flour of Cities all.
A brisk orchestral passage introduces a lively verse about London Bridge and the Tower, in which the men's voices are featured, first the basses and then the tenors.
The last stanza, "Strong be thy walls", has what Tierney calls "a Belshazzar-like grandeur", ending with the jubilant ringing of bells.
[17] Contemporary press reviews were favourable,[7] but later critics, including Frank Howes, Michael Kennedy and Tierney have been only moderately enthusiastic.