Next week sees the launch of the 25th anniversary season of the Swindon Recital Series.

The concert will be a performance of the work of composer Olivier Messiaen, who was conscripted into the French Army in the Second World War. He was a First Aider, but was captured by the Germans in 1940 and interned in Gorlitz, Poland.

During his incarceration Olivier wrote the Quartet For All Time and in January 1941 with a motley handful of broken down instruments, played by competent musicians he has discovered within the camp, the piece had its debut. The concert was performed to 4,000 prisoners and guards.

Olivier wrote about the concert after he was released saying: "The cold was excrutiating, the Stalag was buried under snow. The four performers played on broken-down instruments. Etienne Pasquier's cello had only three strings, the keys on the piano went down but did not come up again. But never have I had an audience who listened with such rapt attention and comprehension.''

The Quarter For All Time will be at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon Wednesday, September 26 at 1.05pm and it will be performed by Paul Turner, concert pianist, Miranda Dale on violin, Caroline Dale on cello and Joy Farrall on clarinet.

Julia Singleton from the Swindon Recital Series said: "Joy is one of Britain most successful and highly respected soloists. She has recently made her second recording of the Mozart Concerto for BMG Conifer which went straight into the classical charts in its first week or release.''

Tickets to see the Quartet For All Time are £6, accompanied children 14 years and under go free. For more details visit www.swidnonrecitalseries.org - Flicky Harrison