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

Fri Jul 31 00:58:15 UTC 2009

Correction:
Method 16 should read: -3-4-2-6-2-45-2-7

2009/7/31 Alan Reading <alan.reading at googlemail.com>

> 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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