Crystal Projections was written for Alex Pullen and premiered on the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2020 Percussion final (televised on BBC 4, BBC radio 3 and the iPlayer).
Described in the Radio Times as ‘shimmering’, Crystal Projections explores shining textures and diffractions of sound as light through a crystal. The choice of vibraphone and crotales is for their variously piercing and ethereal qualities. The second half of the piece uses a (electronic) drone on a very low C#, the spectrum of which inspires the pitch material for much of the piece.
The piece was developed in collaboration with Alex Pullen, a young percussionist from Berkshire. The piece is written in a form of free rhythm, and so the performer is responsible for a great deal of the interpretation.