One of the most successful of British piano concertos, this sparkling work, particularly its finale, is reminiscent of Ravel's G Major Piano Concerto. It's not question of copying or influence, though, because the two composers wrote the works concurrently. Any resemblance between them must be the result of drawing on common musical elements. Both, for instance, were deliberately tailored for pianist with small hands: Ravel's own in the one instance, and those of Helen Perkin, whom Ireland had heard playing Prokofiev's Third Concerto. Secondly, the influence of the neoclassical movement of the 1920s is shown in both works by their general avoidance of the Romantic rhetoric found in concertos from Schumann to Rachmaninov. Both of these factors tended to result in works that are formally clear and concise (they are both around 25 minutes long) and open and lean sounding in their handling of the keyboard and the orchestra. There is also some influence of jazz found in both works, mainly in some of the rhythmic procedures and also in the use of novel wind colors, particularly, in Ireland's case, in the specifying of various brass mutes. The work is in the standard three movements, with the final two being linked.

I: In tempo moderato. An introductory section is almost improvisatory in tone, and includes some melodic gestures akin to popular music. The rhythmic motion picks up with the beginning of the movement proper, including an important rhythmic theme beginning with six repeated notes in a tattoo rhythm. This theme is not only dominant in this movement, but becomes the principal theme of the final movement as well. It is also alluded to in the slow movement.

II: Lento espressivo. This movement is distinguished by Ireland's frequent use of solo instruments from the orchestra to meditate with the piano, In what would seem to be the central section of a three-part structure, melodic material from the first movement replaces the second movement's own theme. Ireland pretends to return to the material of the first part of the movement, but interrupts it with a brief percussion passage that leads into the finale.

III: Allegro. This witty and entertaining fast movement not only combines the main theme of the first movement with new melodies, but also brings back the second movement's original theme, as if to apologize for having interrupted it earlier.

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