[r-t] Some interesting spliced compositions
Simon Gay
Simon.Gay at glasgow.ac.uk
Fri May 18 18:57:39 UTC 2012
A while ago, I wondered whether it would be possible to get a
composition of Spliced Surprise Major for handbells, in which 7-8 only
ring the symmetrical lead of every method.
If you don't find this question interesting, stop reading now!
The first lead has to be an M lead end method, because that's the lead
end type in which the symmetrical lead is 7th and 8th place bells.
At the end of the first lead, 7-8 are 6th and 8th place bells, which is
the symmetrical lead in B and G methods. Ringing a G method would simply
reverse the effect of the initial M method, and come round, so let's
ring a B method.
Continuing in this way, we are forced into the following sequence of
lead end types:
M B K D H F A
bringing up the lead end 18674523.
That's all 7 leads of the plain course, so we have to call a bob after
A, bringing up the lead end 17864523 instead.
Continuing to ring the only possible lead end type at each lead, we get
the sequence
A L C J E G
bringing up the lead end 13526478. That's a nice 5-part part-end, but
repeating from the beginning would give G followed by M, which is no
good. Instead, ringing M with a bob produces 12356478 for a 3-part part-end.
A nicer way to write the sequence of lead end types is as follows,
writing # as a "call" replacing 12 with 18 at the lead end:
M B E# D C# F A- A F# C D# E B# M- 12356478
and a neat palindromic structure emerges. So we have a 3 part
composition with 14 leads per part - just right for a quarter peal (1344
changes).
This calling has several interesting properties:
- 7-8 ringing symmetrical leads throughout
- palindromic
- minimum number of calls (excluding the # calls)
- a method of each lead end type
So all that remains is to fill the methods in. Of course there are many
ways of doing this, but here's one with easy and reasonably standard
methods:
===============================================================
1344 Spliced Surprise Major (7m)
By Simon J.Gay
12345678
----------------------
Norwich 14263857
Yorkshire 13527486
Cray# 16482735
Ipswich 15738264
Hersham# 18674523
Wembley 17856342
Westminster- 17864523
Westminster 18472635
Wembley# 16758342
Hersham 14283756
Ipswich# 15637284
Cray 12345867
Yorkshire# 13526478
Norwich- 12356478
----------------------
3 part
- = 14, # = 18
192 Cray, Ipswich, Norwich, Hersham, Wembley, Westminster, Yorkshire
36 changes of method
For handbells: 7-8 always ring symmetrical leads
Because # changes the method, this is really a composition in 12 methods:
192 Norwich, Westminster
96 Caerleon, Cray, Hastings, Ipswich, Norfolk, Hersham, Wembley,
Woodstock, Yorkshire, 8ths place Hersham (unnamed)
===============================================================
If we don't mind non-standard calls, then with a small variation we can
get 5-6 also ringing symmetrical leads throughout:
===============================================================
1344 Spliced Surprise Major (7m)
By Simon J.Gay
12345678
----------------------
Norwich 14263857
Yorkshire 13527486
Cray# 16482735
Ipswich 15738264
Hersham# 18674523
Wembley 17856342
Westminster$ 17865423
Westminster 18572634
Wembley# 16748352
Hersham 15283746
Ipswich# 14637285
Cray 12354867
Yorkshire# 13426578
Norwich% 13425678
----------------------
3 part
$ = 1456, % = 1256, # = 18
192 Cray, Ipswich, Norwich, Hersham, Wembley, Westminster, Yorkshire
36 changes of method
For handbells: 5-6 and 7-8 always ring symmetrical leads
Because # changes the method, this is really a composition in 12 methods:
192 Norwich, Westminster
96 Caerleon, Cray, Hastings, Ipswich, Norfolk, Hersham, Wembley,
Woodstock, Yorkshire, 8ths place Hersham (unnamed)
===============================================================
It's also possible to use the same callings with 12 genuinely different
methods, rather than lead-end variations (if anyone is interested, I can
provide details).
It's often nice to express compositional ideas in the form of peals.
Here's a peal on the same plan, although it doesn't have the simple
elegance of the quarter:
===============================================================
5184 (5056) Spliced Surprise Major (7m)
By Simon J. Gay
W B M H 23456
-------------------------------------------------------
- M B- (52436)
- - E B- E- (45623)
- - - B- E# D C# F A- A F# C D# E- (25634)
(3) 2 - B(- E B- E B-) E- B E- B# M- 24536
- - M B E# D C# F A- A F# C D# E B# M- 24365
- - M B E# D C# F A- A F# C D# E B# M- 24653
-------------------------------------------------------
3 part
- = 14, # = 18
For 5056 omit (3) in one part.
Method letters indicate lead end types.
1152 B, E
576 A, C, D, F, M
144 changes of method
For handbells: 7-8 always ring symmetrical leads.
Because # changes the method, this is really a composition in 12 methods.
Sample methods:
A = Premier
B = Lincolnshire, B# = Countesthorpe
C = Cassiobury, C# = Marsham
D = Ipswich, D# = Hastings
E = Bourne, E# = Hull
F = Watford, F# = Watford Gap
M = Norton, M# = unnamed
===============================================================
But if it's a peal we want, the idea works best on 12 (here the default
lead end is 1T rather than 12). Here's a version including several
popular methods:
===============================================================
5280 Spliced Surprise Maximus (11m)
By Simon J. Gay
1234567890ET
--------------------------
Andromeda 142638507T9E
Primrose# 13527496E8T0
Strathclyde 1648203T5E79
Bristol# 157392E4T608
Cumbria 18604T2E3957
Vega# 1795E3T20486
White Mounth 108T6E492735
Ariel# 19E7T5038264
Essex 1T0E89674523
Rigel# 1ET907856342
Buckfast@ 1ET908674523
Buckfast 1T0E69482735
Rigel 19E8T7056342
Essex# 106T4E293857
Ariel 1897E5T30264
White Mounth# 16402T3E5978
Vega 178593E2T406
Cumbria# 1426305T7E89
Bristol 15738294E6T0
Strathclyde# 123456708T9E
Primrose 1352748690ET
Andromeda- 1235748690ET
--------------------------
5 part
# = 12, - = 14, @ = 16
480 Andromeda, Ariel, Bristol, Buckfast, Cumbria, Essex, Primrose,
Rigel, Strathclyde, Vega, White Mounth
100 changes of method
For handbells: 9-10 and 11-12 always ring symmetrical leads
Because # changes the method, this is officially a composition in 20
methods:
480 Andromeda, Buckfast
240 Ariel, Ariel# (unnamed), Bristol, Bristol# (= Horsleydown),
Cumbria, Cumbria# (= Carlisle), Essex, Essex# (unnamed), Primrose,
Primrose# (= Cambridge), Rigel, Rigel# (unnamed), Strathclyde,
Strathclyde# (= Huddersfield), Vega, Vega# (unnamed), White Mounth,
White Mounth# (unnamed)
Alternative methods (also replacing the corresponding #
methods). Substitutions can be made independently except where noted.
1. Cheltenham instead of Primrose (Cheltenham# = Pudsey)
2. Renfrew instead of Strathclyde (Renfrew# is unnamed)
3. Phobos instead of Rigel (Phobos# = Asaph Hall)
4. Feltwell Fen instead of Essex (Feltwell Fen# is unnamed). In this case
Rigel cannot be replaced by Phobos.
===============================================================
With a slight variation of the calling (disturbing the palindromic
structure), we can also get 7-8 ringing symmetrical leads:
===============================================================
5280 Spliced Surprise Maximus (11m)
By Simon J. Gay
1234567890ET
--------------------------
Andromeda 142638507T9E
Primrose# 13527496E8T0
Strathclyde 1648203T5E79
Bristol# 157392E4T608
Cumbria 18604T2E3957
Vega# 1795E3T20486
White Mounth 108T6E492735
Ariel# 19E7T5038264
Essex 1T0E89674523
Rigel# 1ET907856342
Buckfast@ 1ET907864523
Buckfast 1T0E89472635
Rigel 19E7T6058342
Essex# 108T4E293756
Ariel 1796E5T30284
White Mounth# 18402T3E5967
Vega 167593E2T408
Cumbria# 1428305T6E79
Bristol 15637294E8T0
Strathclyde- 142358607T9E
Primrose 1254637890ET
Andromeda- 1425637890ET
--------------------------
5 part
# = 12, - = 14, @ = 18
480 Andromeda, Ariel, Bristol, Buckfast, Cumbria, Essex, Primrose,
Rigel, Strathclyde, Vega, White Mounth
100 changes of method
For handbells: 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12 always ring symmetrical leads.
Because # changes the method, this is officially a composition in 19
methods:
480 Andromeda, Buckfast, Strathclyde
240 Ariel, Ariel# (unnamed), Bristol, Bristol# (= Horsleydown),
Cumbria, Cumbria# (= Carlisle), Essex, Essex# (unnamed),
Primrose, Primrose# (= Cambridge), Rigel, Rigel# (unnamed),
Vega, Vega# (unnamed), White Mounth, White Mounth# (unnamed)
Alternative methods (also replacing the corresponding #
methods). Substitutions can be made independently except where noted.
1. Zanussi instead of Vega (Zanussi# = Indesit)
2. Renfrew instead of Strathclyde
3. Phobos instead of Rigel (Phobos# = Asaph Hall)
4. Countesthorpe instead of Primrose (Countesthorpe# = Lincolnshire)
5. Walsall instead of Primrose (Walsall# = Prittlewell)
6. Feltwell Fen instead of Essex (Feltwell Fen# is unnamed). In this case
Rigel cannot be replaced by Phobos.
===============================================================
Simon Gay
The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401
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