Winner of the 2024 York Early Music International Young Artists Competition, the trio Ayres Extemporae make its recording debut on Linn Records with a programme that explores various colours and textures made available by the group’s unusual combination of violin, five-string cello and cello. Erbarme dich! represents a spiritual journey from torment to redemption built around the instrumental transcriptions of arias and sonatas by J. S. Bach, interwoven with the expressive depth of works by Biber and Locke. It is a profound reflection on these universal themes, tracing the full spectrum of human emotion from anger, guilt or remorse to acceptance and, ultimately, peace. The aria from the cantata BWV 55 lends its name to this programme: a plea for mercy of touching vulnerability, signalling the beginning of the journey towards absolution.