[r-t] Phobos music - new surprise royal and max methods

[James Hustler]

Philip Earis wrote:
> 
> Southampton University -3-4-2.5.6-2.7.8-6-7.6.78-9, 2 (a)
> End of Exams           -3-4-2.5.6-34-5-6-67-6-7 (f)
> Harrison               -3-4-2.5.6-34-5-6-7.6-56.7 (f)
> Lochdubh               -3-4-2.5.6-34.7.58.6-6.7-6-1 (mx)
> Tanglefoot             -3-4-2.5.36.4-47.58.6-6.3.6-2.7 (h)
> Ujay                   -3-4-2.5.36-4-3.6-6.7.6-6.7,0 (l)


> Southampton University has a very impressive 128 4-runs. Indeed, it is a 
> pretty decent all-round method.  The only drawback is the 78-9 notation 
> around the half-lead, which is a bit sledgehammer-like.  By changing the 
> half-lead and leadend changes to 10, you get a more fluid and better 
> method. It's damn good, and unrung as well. Southampton University was 
> first conducted to a peal in 2002 by Tim Collins.  Who actually came up 
> with the method, then?

The 78-9 about the half lead was a deliberate attempt to provide a 
stable feature for a band which was not used to ringing together. The 
peal was rung by SUGCR for the 50th anniversary of the university 
receiving its charter.

I'm not sure I can claim too much credit for method construction since 
it was very much a homage to the End of Exams & Harrison peals I'd rung 
in 1997 both conducted by Tom Hinton. I think the former was perhaps a 
MBD construction and the latter a collaboration of TEH & MBD.
I can't remember now much about how the method developed but I notice 
that replacing the half lead with 10 gives the ill fated "Dungeoness" 
Surprise Royal (TEH/MBD???) which we lost in late 1997 at Tewkesbury and 
never re-attempted. This suggests I probably went full circle round the 
houses somewhat since there's a whole host of similar methods sitting on 
the PC going mouldy in various stages of development!

> And finally, we come on Lochdubh Surprise Royal. We are now in the realm 
> of seriously good shit. Amazingly, this 124 4-run gem has only 
> previously been rung in spliced. Whose method is it? You've got almost 
> Bristol Royal beneath the treble, and the method uses this to 
> devastatingly good effect, elegantly pouring in the music with fully 
> regular half-leads. The only slight drawback is the mx group has a slow 
> progression of music from big bells to little bells, but this is a very 
> minor quibble.  The only further comment I would add is that the method 
> can actually be tweaked to improve the music, by changing the -34.7 
> section to 34-7, thereby getting the bells into the right order a row 
> earlier and giving two extra rollups in the course.
>