[r-t] First ever composition of 23-spliced major

[Philip Earis]

I've recently been given what I think is the very first ever composition
of 23-spliced atw major (many thanks to Alan Regin). I guess this is
possibly more historical than theoretical, but I think it's still of
some interest and I've copied it below.  I don't think it's been
published before.

Alan described the interesting history of the composition to me, though
this was in a pub a couple of weeks ago and I've forgotten lots of the
details.  I apologise if I get any of this badly wrong. I think Alan
said that back in the 1960s when Norman Smith was trying to produce a
composition for 23-spliced atw, he was having quite a few difficulties
and wasn't sure whether it was possible. Richard Parker investigated the
problem, and successfully came up with a 23-spliced composition which he
regarded as a 'proof of concept'.  He didn't show it to Norman, but told
him that it was achievable, and this spurred Norman on to find a
composition.  The Parker composition has only in fact been rung once,
and that was only a few years ago.


The composition is:

Hereford (-), Belgrave(-), Painswick, Higher Walton, Hitchin(-),
Dublin(-), Cambridge, Glasgow, Cray(-), London(-), Bristol(-), Double
Dublin(-), Ipswich, Ashtead(-), Superlative, Aldenham, Apsley(-),
Rutland(-),
Pudsey(-), Ealing, Lincolnshire, Cassiobury, Uxbridge(-)    17856342


There are 11 methods in common with Smith's 23, though interestingly
lots of the other methods have lots of parallels with the remaining
Smith's methods. Belgrave replaces Yorkshire, one superlative-over
method replaces another (Painswick for Lindum), similarly with Watford
over (Apsley for Watford). Cornwall and Ealing are structurally very
similar. Of the other new methods, Hereford, Aldenham and Higher Walton
are all Cambridge over, Hitchin is Ashtead over Superlative and Dublin
is just Double Dublin over Bristol.

The actual calling is a bit more complicated than the simple H,3W,2H of
Smith's, and has the tenor as the observation in the first part:

12345678 B  M  W  H
14235678          -
14352678       -  2
12453678       -  3
15324678       -  -
14263578    -  -
17856342 -

I've also included the musical analysis and Sirilic code below:

             Odd     Even      Total

xxxx5678 =    1  +    13    =    14
xxxx6578 =    0  +     5    =     5
xxxx8765 =    0  +     1    =     1
5678xxxx =    2  +     5    =     7
8765xxxx =    1  +     5    =     6
xxxxxx87 =  124  +    16    =   140
CRU      =    5  +    32    =    37



8 bells

peal=(hereford,+14,"@ -",belgrave,+14,"@ -",painswick,+12,
higherwalton,+12, hitchin,+14,"@ -", dublin,+14,"@
-",cambridge,+12,glasgow,+18,cray,+14,"@ -",london,+14,"@
-",bristol,+14,"@ -",doubledublin,+14,"@ -",ipswich,+12,ashtead,+14,"@
-",superlative,+12,aldenham,+12,apsley,+14,"@ -",rutland,+14,"@
-",pudsey,+14,"@
-",ealing,+12,lincolnshire,+12,cassiobury,+12,uxbridge,+14,"@ -")

music="default","5678?","8765?","?8765"

hereford=&-3-4-5-36-34-5.6-6.38 /mx 
belgrave=&-3-4-5-6-2-3-4-1 /a
painswick=&-36-4-5-6-2-5-6-7 /b
higherwalton=&-3-4-5-36-4-23-4-7 /b
hitchin=&-5-6-56-36-4-5-36-1  /b
dublin=&-56-4.56-5.36.4-4.5-4-1  /m
aldenham=&-3-4-5-36-34-3-6-7 /b 
apsley=&-5-6-5-36-4-3-34-7 /b

ealing=&-5-4-56-36-4-5-4-5


cambridge=&-3-4-25-36-4-5-6-7
glasgow=&36-56.14.58-58.36-14-38.16-16.38
cray=&-56-4-56-36-34-5-34-1
london=&3-3.4-2-3.4-4.5.6-6.5
bristol=&-5-4.5-5.36.4-4.5-4-1
doubledublin=&-56-4.56-58.36.14-34.58-34-18
ipswich=&-38-14-58-36-34-58-16-38
ashtead=&-5-6-56-36-34-3-4-7
superlative=&-36-4-5-36-4-5-36-7
rutland=&-3-4-5-6-4-3-34-1
pudsey=&-5-6-2-3-4-5-6-7

lincolnshire=&-3-4-5-6-4-5-36-7
cassiobury=&-5-6-2-36-2-5-4-1
uxbridge=&-3-4-56-6-34-5-4-5

conflict=

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