A night of real drama, passion, tears and foot-tapping melodies was the absolute treat provided by the Kosmos trio on the evening of Wednesday 15th April 2026. The artists, violinist Harriet MacKenzie, viola exponent Meg Hamilton and the classical accordionist Milos Milivojevic provided a wonderful and memorable event of music making at the Trinity Methodist Church and Community Hub.
This long established threesome, with their highly distinctive style and sound, captivated the audience with unique interpretations of classical pieces, folk songs and musical forms drawn from around the world. As highly skilled and talented musicians in their own right, they interpreted and improvised familiar standard works, bringing in jazz, tango, gipsy and Jewish styles to the delight of the audience.
The opening piece brought some welcome Greek sunshine to a rather damp Ribble Valley, as Harriett, who had flown in from Greece that morning, led her colleagues in a vibrant and colourful variation on a traditional Greek folk dance. Later, in a dramatic mood change, a poignant poem of love and loss brought tears of sadness to many present. The power of silence was captured in the opening section of a subsequent melody, exploding towards the climax with wild and energetic playing. Finally, their own arrangement of a Swedish poem added a nordic flavour to the first half of their programme.
After the interval, Erik Satie’s Gymnopedie was transformed in a unique Kosmos arrangement. Similarly, the trio’s interpretation of Amy Beach’s Romance Op 23 was equally tender and delightful . A swift change of mood led into an Argentine Tango, before a rather humorous take on the Vaughan Williams Lark Ascending, introduced an amusing variation that only Kosmos could deliver. A truly inspiring and wonderful evening marked by rapturous audience applause.
Kosmos Ensemble with Clitheroe Civic leaders, from left to right, Harriet MacKenzie, Cllr Mary Robinson Vice Mayor Clitheroe Town Council, Cllr Donna O’Rouke Mayoress Ribble Valley, Cllr Simon O’Rouke Mayor of Ribble Valley, Meg-Rosaleen Hamilton, and Milos Milivojevic.