Nick Spencer speaks with poet Michael Symmons Roberts. 18/11/2025

The performance of Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time in a freezing WW2 prison camp is one of the most famous moments of 20th century music.

The piece and performance spoke to audiences movingly, both then and now, of peace, God, time, and the power of music.

Such questions remain powerful today. How imprisoned by time are we? In what sense does music and art enable us to transcend the constraints of our existence? What does the end of time mean?

This week on Reading Our Times, Nick speaks to poet Michael Symmons Roberts about his latest book Quartet for the End of Time: On Music, Grief and Birdsong.

You can buy a copy of Michael’s book here.

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