Masterpiece Composed in Prisoner-of-war Camp to Be Performed in Grove Park
Concert also feature cabaret and classical songs from the thirties
French composer Olivier Messiaen at Stalag VIII-A in Görlitz, Germany
February 16, 2026
A rarely performed classical masterpiece with an extraordinary history will be heard in Chiswick later this month. Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, composed in a prisoner-of-war camp during the early years of the Second World War, will be performed at St Paul’s Church, Grove Park, on Saturday 28 February at 7.30pm. The concert will also feature cabaret and classical songs from the 1930s.
Messiaen wrote the Quartet while interned in a German prisoner-of-war camp following the fall of France in 1940. Drawing on his Christian faith, his fascination with birdsong and his belief in the sanctity of human life, he created the work for the four instruments available to him in the camp: piano, violin, cello and clarinet. Its first performance, given in 1941, was heard by an audience of 400 prisoners and German officers.
Born in 1908, Messiaen served as organist at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris for more than sixty years. After his release from captivity in 1941, he became a professor at the Paris Conservatoire. He was known for his unusual ability to perceive colours when hearing certain musical chords, a form of chromesthesia, and for his lifelong interest in birdsong, which he wove into many of his compositions.
The work has been chosen for this concert by Michael (Mike) Reed in memory of his father, Peter Reed, who was shot down during an RAF mission and spent four years in prisoner-of-war camps. At one point he was held opposite German camp VIII-A, where Messiaen composed the Quartet. In the 80th anniversary year of VE Day, at a time when conflict continues to affect so many parts of the world, the themes of the piece feel especially resonant.
The evening will open with a short introduction from Mike Reed, who will outline the origins of the work and place it in its historical context. Mike is a well-known composer and West End musical director, with more than twenty West End productions to his name and guest-conducting appearances with many leading UK orchestras.
The performers for the Quartet are Michael Reed on piano, Beatrix Lovejoy Chappell on violin, Ben Chappell on cello and Jacob Perry on clarinet. The programme will also include songs from the same period by Poulenc, Satie and Piaf, performed by acclaimed German soprano Felicia Brembeck.
Tickets cost £20 on the night, subject to availability, or can be booked in advance online.
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