Fred Thomas’s transcriptions for piano trio of Bach organ and vocal works aim to replicate the ways various stops on an organ interact and overlap in a resonant acoustic. He often assigns long, sustained lines to his strings, which violinist Aisha Orazbayeva and cellist Lucy Railton execute with perfect intonation and minimum vibrato. Other times Thomas modifies his general textural game plan. In Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich, for example, he plays the chorale theme in a high register and articulates the bottom part in the manner of a pizzicato walking bass line, while the strings quietly intone the inner voices.

By contrast, Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein’s threadbare string lines shimmer in the background as Thomas brings the chromatic writing to the fore. But Alle Menschen müssen sterben finds all three instruments interacting more or less as equal partners. Five of the 17 tracks feature Thomas and his piano alone. He transforms the aria from the Cantata Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten into a gorgeous cantabile supported by a steady left-hand accompaniment, with a control of legato that requires little help from the sustain pedal. Conversely, Thomas’s detached articulation and firmly delineated dotted rhythms in the Sinfonia from Cantata No 196, Der Herr denket an uns, sound pearly, rounded and never percussive for a second. Also note the ensemble’s subtle dynamic build in Jesu, meine Freude, providing a full-bodied, dignified conclusion.

At first, the contemplative restraint that frequently comes across in these arrangements and performances will seem a tad precious and self-aware. Let this programme sink in over several hearings and the music will quietly insinuate itself into your next playlist.