The third movement is sung by Nicolas alone, who recounts how “My parents died … All too soon I left the tranquil beauty of their home … and knew the wider world of men.” Nicolas then bemoans his distress over man's faults and devotes himself to a life of service to God.
 
 Britten orchestrated the second movement for just strings and tenors; the texture is much less complicated than the preceding movements. The third movement lacks a tonal center and meanders through significantly more dissonant harmonies; the absence of a catchy, recognisable tune (found in most other movements) makes the third movement come across as a recitative.