Tamsin Waley-Cohen & Cordelia Williams: Lullabies
Two British star musicians explore an enchanting selection of music about evening, lullabies and the mysteries of night, ranging from Schubert to Arvo Pärt.
As a duo, violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen and pianist Cordelia Williams have been much praised for their engaging performances and intense commitment to imaginative programming. Now they explore pieces associated with the atmospheres of night, slumber and dreams.
At the core of the programme, to illustrate the foundational role of lullabies in childhood, is a new work, Sweet as plum wine, written for them by Freya Waley-Cohen, the award-winning composer and the violinist’s sister.
Opening with a tender memory of childhood in Dvorák’s Songs My Mother Taught Me, the programme continues with the much-loved cradle-songs by Schubert and Brahms before tackling the hypnotic stillness of Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel.
Later the intense romanticism of Scriabin’s Nocturne in F sharp minor contrasts with the spare, quirky fascination of John Cage’s Nocturne.
Performers
Tamsin Waley-Cohen violin
Cordelia Williams piano
Repertoire
Arvo Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel (Mirror in the mirror)
Brahms: Wiegenlied (Lullaby), Op.49 No.4 arr. Williams & Waley-Cohen for violin & piano
Dvořák: Songs my mother taught me, Op.55 No.4 arr. Kreisler for violin & piano
Freya Waley-Cohen: Sweet as plum wine (World premiere)
Scriabin: Nocturne in F sharp minor, Op.5 No.1 arr. Mogilevsky for violin & piano
Cage: Nocturne
Schubert: Wiegenlied (Lullaby), D.498 arr. Elman for violin & piano; Fantasie in C, D.934
Need to know
Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall at 1.45pm: pre-concert talk, Night Music: The Creative Power of Parenting. Admission free for ticket holders.
Tamsin Waley-Cohen, Cordelia Williams and Octavia Bright discuss how parenting has affected their creative practices. Looking especially at night-time care and lullabies, they discuss why this topic holds so much interest for them, and why it matters. Drawing on their personal experiences as well as the latest research, this is a moment to reframe the work of night-time care as the rich creative source that it can be.
Find out more about the music with our free programme.
View the programme
Octavia Bright is a writer and broadcaster.
Reviews
‘[Waley-Cohen] tailored her sound to every aspect of the concerto’s musical landscape … conjuring gorgeous tone in the instrument’s lower register’ The Times
‘Williams has the ability to mesmerise in Pärt’ International Piano
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
06 Jun 2026, 3pm
Run time
1 hour and 15 minutes (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £37 + £4 booking fee
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
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This event is held at the Purcell Room Southbank Centre
The Purcell Room is located in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
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