Retrace the Grand Tour of the outstanding Scotsman Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, with the celebrated soprano Susan Hamilton and Scottish-Austrian early music ensemble Laudonia. In October of 1694, Sir John left Penicuik for a journey that would take him away from Scotland for four years. The first part of his journey took him to Leiden where he studied law, the violin and harpsichord. After one year of hard work he was able to play the harpsichord in concerts and “he was as good as any Gentleman in Holland”. During his stay in Leiden he met the Polish composer Jakob Kremberg and it is thought that he had composition lessons from him. It was here that he also met Herman Boerhaave, the renowned Dutch physician, who would remain a good friend and who wrote the libretti for at least two of his cantatas. In May 1697 he left Holland and set off for Rome. He travelled through Germany and spent the summer in Vienna where he was introduced to the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I. On discovering Clerk’s great love of music, Leopold I invited him to his private opera on more than one occasion. Clerk really enjoyed his time there and wrote very fondly about it in his Memoirs.  He then set off for Venice and later for Rome where he arrived in September 1697. In Rome, Clerk studied the harpsichord with Bernardo Pasquini and violin and composition with Arcangelo Corelli. Laudonia has some of the finest Baroque musicians to perform, teach, and inspire people to listen with renewed passion and ultimately raise the standard of music.

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