[Bell Historians] Re: Definition of Touch

[Alan Buswell]

If a 'touch' is less than a peal, then the term 'quarter peal' will have to be changed.

AAJB.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Graham John 
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 10:43 PM
  Subject: [Bell Historians] Re: Definition of Touch


    
  Thanks Eddie. Interestingly you quote from the OED:

  > "9. Bell-ringing. Any series of changes less than a peal.

  but the reference...

  > 1872 ELLACOMBE Ch. Bells Devon, etc. ix. 471 A peal..means
  > the performance of the full number of changes which may be
  > rung on a given number of bells;

  uses the definition of peal which is now our definition of extent.

  > any less number of changes would be called `a touch'.

  So, is a touch less than an extent? or less than a current day peal?

  > 1898 G. S. TYACK Bk. about Bells viii. 141 Five thousand
  > changes..is the smallest number to which the name of a
  > peal is technically allowed, less than that number merely
  > constitutes a `touch'."

  This reference might suggest the latter, but would it apply to a 1260 of Minor, given that it is more than an extent?

  > Clavis Campanalogia (1788) , p.56 where, advising how to call
  > a peal: "but in order to lead the young practitioner on
  > progressively, we advise him to ring the following 168
  > . . . He may then venture on other short peals or touches
  > (as they are called)." 

  Why did they chose the word "touch"? Does the OED have a definition of touch that would make sense in this context e.g. like a "dash" of salt, meaning a little, or something indicating less than the whole?

  In originally asking the question, I was wondering whether a touch could reasonably be defined as something like: "A distinct piece of practice or performance change ringing of any length, starting and ending in rounds.", such that a quarterpeal or peal is just a touch over a certain length.

  Graham



             
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