<div dir="ltr"><div>A reminder to anyone still planning to make a submission for the MC consultation that the due date for comments on the 2017 changes is tomorrow, Fri Apr 7th. Comments on the 2018 changes are due Fri May 12th.<br></div><div><br></div><div>For anyone interested, my submission is below.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Tim</div><div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Tim Barnes</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:tjbarnes23@gmail.com">tjbarnes23@gmail.com</a>></span><br>Date: Thu, Apr 6, 2017 at 3:47 PM<br>Subject: MC consultation<br>To: <a href="mailto:methods@cccbr.org.uk">methods@cccbr.org.uk</a><br><br><br><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Dear Methods Committee,<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Although I'm now a consultant to the MC, I’d still like
to provide the following written response to the consultation on the CC Decisions:<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><u>2017 Proposed Changes<span></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><b>2.0 A Allow methods that are false in the plain course.<span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">I fully support this. It's compositions that should be true, not necessarily plain courses of the methods that
underlie them. It has already been shown
that very musical true compositions can be produced by using individual leads of
methods that have false plain courses.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><b>3.0 A (i) Relax the requirement for
bells to be heard outside the tower.<span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Agree. This makes the requirement
for tower bell peals consistent with handbells and mini-rings. It also recognizes that in a growing number
of locations, imposing 3 hours of ringing on those nearby isn’t considered neighbourly. Of course, we hope that many peals will
continue to be rung as public performances where this is possible.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><b>3.0 A (ii) Allow peals on simulators.<span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Agree, though the exact wording for this change will need to be
carefully considered. The art of tower change
ringing involves controlling a heavy swinging mass, interacting with other
ringers using ropesight, and developing accurate striking and good rhythm. These key elements can still be present even
if the resulting sound is generated by something other than clapper on bell,
and such performances should therefore be recognized.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Furthermore, with the expectation of accelerating church closures in
the years ahead and consequent likely loss of rings, some ringers may need to find
other venues to practice change ringing.
A simulated ring can be set up for a fraction of the cost of a real
ring, and in some cases simulated rings might be the only rings that some
ringers have access to.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">I recommend that the wording of this change ensures that peals on simulated
rings involve the key elements noted above (and the equivalent alternating up-strokes
and down-strokes for simulated handbell ringing). I don't believe pressing a key on a keyboard to create a bell
sound is sufficient for a recognized method ringing performance (or this should at least be separately categorized).<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><b>3.0 D Allow a wider range of peal constructions.<span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Agree. There’s no good reason
why today 42 * 120 + 60 of Doubles is recognized as a peal, but 41 * 120 + 180
is not.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><b>3.0 E Relax the conditions on how a peal is performed.<span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Agree. The existing Decisions in
this area are unrealistic and are routinely ignored. While there’s a case for removing these items
entirely and leaving ringers to self-police, on balance I think it helps more
than it harms to show in the Decisions that errors matter and striking matters.
I suggest (D) A.9 and (D) A.10 are
collapsed into a single item that reads, "Bands should strive to maintain
a high standard of ringing, and errors in ringing or calling should be
corrected quickly."</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span><br></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><u>2018 Proposed Changes<span></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">While I broadly support the proposed changes for 2018, I hope the MC
will go further than currently outlined in the consultation document.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">For all of my 35+ years as a ringer, the CC Decisions have been a
source of controversy, and I know the controversy in fact dates back much further
than that. The controversy is due to one
group of ringers imposing a limited view of what constitutes method ringing on other
groups of ringers who have a different view.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">We know that reasonable people differ, so this approach inevitably has been divisive, pitted ringer against ringer, and harmed the reputation of the
CC, detracting from other good work that it does.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">A better approach would be for the CC to define method
ringing broadly: E.g. method ringing performances,
such as peals, comprise true permutations of rows, where ‘true’ and ‘row’ are
easily defined. Methods that underlie
such performances are sequences of changes that have been given names for easy
reference. All true permutations of rows
should be recognized, and all sequences of changes should be nameable. With this as a starting point, a coherent
framework for method ringing can be derived.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">This approach would “encourage development of the art of change ringing
through innovation”, which is one of the CC’s stated objectives. And importantly, those who wish to take a narrower view of method ringing remain entirely free to do so. No one needs to ring anything that isn’t
to their personal taste.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">I do not believe it would be practicable to move to this approach
incrementally by making a series of modifications to the current Decisions. The current Decisions are complex and
unwieldy, the result of decades of incremental fixes and patches being
applied. It’s time to start from a clean slate, taking everything we’ve learnt so far and developing a framework that
can be the foundation for method ringing for many years to come.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">I hope the Methods Committee will embrace this approach and take decisive
action over the next 12 months to develop such a framework. And I hope this new framework will be ready
to be voted on at the May 2018 Central Council meeting.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span>Regards </span></p><span class="gmail-HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Tim<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><br></p></font></span></div>
</div><br></div>