[r-t] 23 Spliced Treble Dodging Major (all the runs)

Fri Jul 31 00:55:11 UTC 2009

Thank you very much for your comments and analysis Philip.

Firstly, before I take any false credit, I'd like to point out that I didn't
compose the whole thing without any help from a computer. I did make quite
heavy use of a proving program to try out ideas as they came to me. I just
meant that I used nothing more powerful than a proving program eg no
generating software ect. And I certainly did use up a lot of squared paper!

It is indeed true that unfortunately there is a balance between musicality
and familiarity. I think that in order to produce a peal of 23-spliced with
a very high run count it is necessary to largely invent the methods
specially for the purpose. I always set out with the intention to invent
lots of the methods specially for the composition and cannot imagine trying
to produce such a thing without doing so.

One final thing. In order to try and "raise the bar" slightly higher I came
up with a few alternatives to some of the new methods in my 23 to try and
increase diversity and the number of wrong place backworks whilst
maintaining the maximum run count. (N.B. some of the following substitutions
must be made simultaneously in order to ensure truth). Refering the
numbering given in the composition replace with each of the following:

Method-2: l 36.5.36.4-2-6-2-3-36-3
Method-6: e 5-5.4.5-5.6-4-45-2-3
Method-7: k -34.5.4-25-36-4-5-2-3
Method-10: e 345-34.1-56-1.34.2-3-36-1
Method-16: j -3-4-2-6-2-45-4-7
Method-18: g 34.5.36.4-56-1-2-3.4.56-7

Cheers,
Alan

2009/7/30 Philip Earis <Earisp at rsc.org>

> This is a really good achievement by Alan, and I offer my congratulations.
> I'm especially keen as this mixes many concepts close to my heart - cyclic,
> mega-tittums, and multi-spliced - to a great symbiotic effect.
>
> As he says, Superlative really comes to light in the mega-tittums coursing
> order of 8765432, with different cycles of runs around each half-lead and
> leadend. This was discussed on this list in March this year, after an
> initial reference to Muppet Show S Major (see eg <
> http://bellringers.net/pipermail/ringing-theory_bellringers.net/2009-March/002841.html
> >)
>
> This property of Superlative has been exploited before, for example the
> coursing order comes towards the end of Tony Cox's classic 4-part
> composition:
>
> 5,120 Superlative Surprise Major
> Anthony J Cox
>
> (25364)   1  1½  M  W
>  43526    s  -      3
>  46352    s  -      -*
>  26453           2
> 4 part. Call Single for -* in alternate parts.
> Start and finish at treble snap.
>
> Superlative in the mega-tittums course is a great lead to base a 7-part
> spliced composition around - I suspect Tony's influence is manifesting
> itself in Alan's compositions :-)
>
> As Alan says, the mega-tittums coursing order is the same in every part, as
> it is invariant under the cyclic rotation. This of course means that you get
> the whole course of it just by having a single lead in each part (but
> conversely, you can only have one lead in each part).
>
> Now the concept of progressively calling bobs to get to mega-tittums,
> having a lead to "cyclic shunt" as Alan puts it, and then reversing the
> concept is exciting, but not completely new.  Rob Lee sent this elegant
> prototype composition below to this list a couple of a years ago:
>
>  5104 Spliced Maximus
>  (4m: 1584 Avon D., Bristol S., Orion S.,
>  352 Littleport Little S., 98 com, atw)
>
>       234567890ET   Br
>       795E3T20486   Br
>       T0E89674523   Av
>  14   ET089674523   Or
>  16   0E9T8674523   Av
>  18   908E7T64523   Or
>  10   89706E5T423   Br
>  10   ET029384567   Av
>  18   0E9T8234567   Li
>  16   908ET234567   Or
>  14   890ET234567
>
>  11 part.
>
> And the concept was further used in spliced maximus compositions by me and
> then much improved versions by David Pipe.  With higher numbers of bells the
> intention of getting to mega-tittums is usually to exploit the majestic
> coursing music. However, DJP in his "Jupiter" 12-part classic uses the
> method Ganymede in the mega-tittums, and Amalthea around it, to produce
> shed-loads of unexpected runs.
>
> Back on 8 bells, packing in all 96 runs is indeed what I'd call the "holy
> grail".  It's hard to describe how good a composition with so many runs
> sounds - there are orders of magnitude more runs than in most standard major
> compositions.
>
> I think it was Alan who composed the first peal on this plan, as below:
>
>   5376/5088/5024 6 Spliced Treble Dodging Major
>   A G Reading
>
>   2345678 Americium
>  -2357486 Americium
>  -2378564 Americium
> (-2386745 Dunster
>   5748623 Barnstormer
>   4567382 Dunster
>  s2836745 Bristol
>  -3286745 Rare Hare
>  -8326745 Bristol
>  s8236745 Dunster
>   5743682 Barnstormer
>   4567238 Dunster
> -)3826745 Gem
>   7253486 Bristol
>   5742638 Gem
>  -6457823 Dunster
>   3825764 Barnstormer
>   2378456 Dunster
> (s6547823 Bristol
>  -4657823 Rare Hare
>  -5467823 Bristol
> s)5647823 Dunster
>   3824756 Barnstormer
>   2378645 Dunster
>  -4567823
>   7 Part.
>
> Whilst still very good, the composition makes use of extended blocks of
> bobbed / singled mx leads, meaning that runs of the same type get heavily
> concentrated together.
>
> The calling structure of Alan's new 23-spliced is certainly, I feel, more
> elegant.  The challenge of squeezing all of the runs in takes much effort
> and many hours of playing around and frustration, as Alan alludes to.  I
> know only too well where he's coming from here, and to complete the puzzle
> without a computer shows considerable skill.
>
> When putting together peal of spliced to try and pack in all the runs,
> there's a balance between retaining familiar methods and pushing up the
> run-count.  Sadly the two are not always compatible. Alan has pushed out in
> the direction of new methods here, with 18 of the 23 being unrung. The
> danger is the unfamiliarity pushes the composition beyond the range of even
> experienced bands.
>
> The new methods are certainly used to good effect, though, and there are
> some real "musical blockbuster" leads in the composition - the prospect of
> 10 runs coming in a lead has me salivating.
>
> Perhaps as a consequence of the way he put it together, many of Alan's new
> methods share similarities. This is not a problem per se, but of the 23
> methods there is a distinct bias towards right-place overworks, or at least
> the first two sections.  Indeed, 17 of the methods begin -a-b-c-d , 18 if
> you include the 34-34 start instead.
>
> This is hard to tweak in a specific composition like this while maintaining
> the music - knock out one method and the danger is the whole house of cards
> comes down. Whilst more familiarity or range of methods would be preferable,
> that shouldn't detract too much from this composition.
>
> There are parallels between Alan's composition and Rob Lee's new
> masterpiece, which should be unveiled shortly.  Rob has also obtained all 96
> run rows in a cyclic peal of spliced, but with the added advantages of an
> elegant palindromic structure (leading to 12-spliced rather than 23), and a
> better mix of methods, with very varied over- and under-works.
>
> Alan's pioneering composition has shown what is possible, but Rob's will, I
> feel, set a new standard.  Alan and Rob, two of ringing's finest minds, are
> building on hundreds of years of compositional developments to raise the bar
> considerably higher. It's turning into a very exciting year for new
> compositions...
>
>
>
>
>
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