Douglas Lilburn occupies a pre-eminent position in New Zealand music, with a legacy extending well beyond his compositional output. As a composer, teacher and mentor he presided in innumerable ways over the artistic growth of New Zealand from 1940 onwards. From the early works redolent of the influence of Sibelius and Vaughan Williams, to the electro-acoustic pieces of his later years, his works have been instrumental in establishing a genuine vernacular in New Zealand classical music.

Lilburn's Symphony No.1 (1949) is an essential work to study in the history of New Zealand orchestral music. Premiered in 1951 by the National Orchestra (now the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra), it was later established as a staple of orchestral repertoire with regular performances and recordings. This critical edition is the first computer-engraved publication of the work, and is the second of four volumes published in celebration of the centenary of Lilburn's birth in 1915.