I saw a peacock, a new song cycle by Brian Elias, will receive its World Premiere on 28 December at Wigmore Hall with baritone James Newby and pianist Joseph Middleton. In addition to the titular poem, a 17th-century folk classic, the composer sets texts by Edward Thomas, Frederic Myers, George Peele, and William Blake. Each of the six poems is about dreams and visions. Elias writes, "For many years I have wanted to set 'I Saw a Peacock,' a poem that is usually anthologised as a nursery rhyme. Far from being a happy story, it is extraordinary in its apocalyptic and almost biblical imagery."
Elias has also written a new horn concerto for Ben Goldscheider to premiere at the Aldeburgh Festival with Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2025.