Christian IV of Denmark educated this young musician, sending him to Italy on two different occasions to study with Gabrieli. It is no wonder, then, that some of the extant compositions by Pedersøn show an Italian influence. He also spent some time in England to serve Christian's sister Anne, who was married to James I. It is not known what other activities he pursued while in England, for there are presently no records to establish or substantiate the events. Pedersøn studied with and was the assistant to Borchgrevinck while serving in the Danish court. Considered the most important Danish composer before Buxtehude, Pedersøn's madrigals were arranged for five voices in polyphony and show borrowings from Monteverdi. Church music, such as Pratum Spirituale, is the earliest known collection of Danish compositions including Danish texts. They also include the melodies used in the Danish church service following the Reformation. There are 37 pieces with 31 different settings in this collection based on Gregorian plainchants and Lutheran chorales. Not completely dependent upon Italian traditions, some of these works demonstrate strong characteristics of the Baroque. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi