A USO symphonic orchestra is captured by the Germans during a 1944 battle in Belgium. The conductor, Lionel Evans, persuades the Germans to spare their lives by arguing they are civilian non-combatants. They are taken to a German tank division's HQ, where the commanding officer, General Schiller, is an avid music lover. However, his second-in-command, Colonel Arndt, wants the prisoners executed. The orchestra is kept in a castle's chapel and fed, but tensions rise as some members are killed and others try to escape. In the midst of this, the orchestra is asked to perform one last concert for General Schiller, who may have ulterior motives. Meanwhile, two American soldiers hiding among the musicians secretly plan to escape and seek help from the nearest Allied troops.
Counterpoint
During World War II, a renowned orchestra conductor is taken prisoner by the Germans and coerced into performing exclusive concerts for Nazi high-ranking officials.