The birth of Chadwick's first son, Theodore, on 4 January 1891 was an overwhelming event (fig. 4.1), reported thus by the new father: “At six minutes of twelve the boy came. … He weighed seven pounds and was perfectly normal & healthy. At two oclock Ma was conscious, resting comfortably, and Oh so happy. Allgemeine [sic] Jubel! May the Lord give me grace to do my duty by this boy. He was the gift of God and we so named him.” The baby was christened on 21 June and Chadwick's longtime friend Charlie Saunders became his godfather.

Chadwick spent the summer of 1891 in Orford, New Hampshire, enjoying his new family life. During these weeks, he was also composing industriously, elaborating on new ideas as he found the “Orford air certainly stimulating for production.” One of his favorite poets was Arlo Bates (1850-1918), who was also a fellow member of the Tavern and the St. Botolph Club. Bates had given Chadwick his poem “Lilies of Mummel-See” in January 1901. Chadwick “made a start at it at once” and worked on it, using the text as a libretto for what would become the “dramatic poem” The Lily Nymph in 1895. But Chadwick was also interested in the Latin hymn “Phoenix expirans” (The Dying Phoenix) which he had found “in a collection of Latin poetry by John Lord Hayes.” Hayes had written an English translation, but Chadwick decided to use the Latin text for the composition of a cantata for the 1892 Springfield Festival. He focused mainly on this work during the summer, finishing it in early August. However, immediately after having finished Phoenix Expirans he began anew to note down motifs and musical ideas, inspirations that flowed into what was to become a new symphony: “As usual I began in the middle, and the themes of the Andante and Scherzo were the first to be worked out.“

Chadwick apparently reflected on his options in various fields of Boston musical life. His description of Arthur Nikisch, the new conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra beginning in 1889, reveals that personally, he was not very happy with Higginson's choice. Simultaneously, his own career in the field of conducting was growing continuously.