[r-t] A new Spliced Surprise Major canon

Wed Mar 6 20:54:12 UTC 2013

> I've been thinking for some time that more work needs to be done in the
> field of "ordinary" spliced - by which I mean the straightforward stuff
> with tenors together and familiar methods, the sort of thing that gets
> rung every day.

Very interesting, Mark. I agree with your rationale behind developing
things in this area, and your end result (copied below) is neat, and neat
in a different way to Pitman's focus. I like the constancy of calling
(though Pitman did get in with palindromic blocks)

A few initial questions:

- Did you start with your six chosen methods from the very outset?

- Or put another way, how sensitive is your methodology to the initial
choice of methods? If I gave you, say, six "randomly" selected
treble-dodging major methods (or 6 of the same leadhead group you used, or
even slight tweaks like replacing Lessness with London (not that I'd
advocate this!)), what are the chances of a true atw composition dropping
out? With similar musical properties to your comps?

- Is 6 methods the maximum you could get into an atw composition on this
specific calling plan? Your message kind of implies you've tried to
increase this?

- Conceptually you're still taking a "constructed" approach with a
starting point of pre-ordained methods, and trying to arrange these as
neatly as possible (I realise that this is how most compositions of
spliced have traditionally been developed, and I understand the rationale)
- the new thing here is the series of methods with constraint of a fixed
calling. I get a bit uneasy about constructed approaches as you're
essentially condemned to a damage-limitation exercise from the outset.
Nevertheless, the end result can be good and I like what you're doing.
However...

- ...how applicable is your general metaheuristic approach to other more
"architectured" ringing problems, where say the calling may be fixed but
instead the method choice is open? eg:

1) Getting methods for a whole-course 23-spliced major, along the lines of
what Richard Smith did at:
<http://www.bellringers.net/pipermail/ringing-theory_bellringers.net/2005-January/000637.html>

2) Starting with say Alan Reading's recent 8-part major with all the runs,
knowing you wanted to replace 3 identified methods with replacements that
would leave the composition true and with the same musical properties

3) Producing an extent of spliced treble dodging major? (Either
"conventional" spliced, or 180 whole courses, or a 7-part with 180 leads
per part)

    5056
    1-spliced
    23456  M B W H
    42356        -
    54326      -
    54263    -   -
    46253  - -
    65432    -
    53624    -
    32546    -
    32465    -   -
    26354    -
    43652  -     -
    43526    -   -
    24536      -
    43265    -
    45362  2     -
    63254  -   -
    52436  -   -
    34625  -   -
    26543  -   -
    64352  -   2
    23456  -     -

  Music: 72/20/136
    COM: 0

    Bristol 5056
       Deva
   Cornwall
   Lessness
     Malpas
Superlative

5056
2-spliced

DD.
DDDDDB.DD
D.BDDBB.
DBD.BBB.DDDDB
D.BBB
BBBB.BBB
BBBB.DBDDD
D.BBBB.
BDBDB.BBB
BB.BBBBBBB.
BBDDB.D.
BBBBBBB.B
BBBB.BBDD
BB.DD.BBBBBBB.
DDDD.DDDDD.B
DDDD.DDDDD.DD
DDB.DDDB.B
DDDD.BDB.DD
DDB.BDB.DD.
DBBD.BDDDDD.

68/20/123
48

2592
2464

5024
3-spliced

B.
DBDDCCD.B
BCB.BCB.
BCCD.BC.
DDDC.BC
CDCCB.CCCCC
CC.BBDD
D.CBB.
BCCDC.
BBCB.BBBBBBB.
CDCCB.BCCDC.
BBBBCB.B
BDDBB.CB
BCCD.CBBCC.BDC.
DBD.DDBD.DD
DBD.CBBC.
CB.DBDD.
DCD.CBBDDB.DD
DDDD.BDDBBC.DD.DBBC
BB.DCCDDBD.

68/23/130
89

1920
1600
1504

5024
4-spliced

B.
DDDL.DD
CL.BDDDDB.
BCLLD.LC.
LLCBL.BC
CDCCB.BC
CC.BBB
LLC.LCB.
BCCDL.
LLCB.BBDDCL.
CDCCB.BCLLDL.
LLLCBB.B
BCCDC.CB
BCCD.CBLLLC.BDL.
DBD.BCBL.
DLLD.CBBL.L
C.CCDDB.
DCD.LDLDBL.DBDDC
L.LDLDBL.DD.DBLC
BB.BDDBBCB.

72/19/134
104

1344
1248
1248
1216

5024
5-spliced

DD.
BMBBL.DD
D.BDDDDB.
DLLCB.BL.LC
BBL.
MCDDL.LLL
ML.CB
BMCDL.CDCMB.
BCMDL.CDCM
M.BBLLLL.
MDMMB.BCCDC.
CLCBB.B
BMCDC.DLLCC
M.CCMC.BMLCB.
C.BMBL.
MMCD.DDBD.L
C.BBD.
MMCD.MCDMMB.CMLLM
L.BBBBC.DCM.MLMLM
L.CBBMCDC.

70/19/149
113

1120
 928
1088
 928
 960

5056
6-spliced

B.
BCCL.B
SS.BMB.
DBLDS.DDBDD.LC
BBL.CMMCM
ML.
CDSDS.
DSDCDL.D.
BSSLDL.LC
BB.BMCM.
CDMMMS.BLC.
BMCBB.B
LLC.BC
BLLS.SSSSL.CCBBCMD.
C.BDLDBM.SSS
SD.CCDCMB.
CMCD.CCBB.B
BCCD.BMBBDD.DCM
DDB.MBLL.DLLL.SLM
BMS.CCC CDC.

69/23/152
115

1120
 896
1056
 704
 640
 640

===

Again, please let me know if you ring any of these.
5088 Spliced Surprise Major (3 methods)
Composed by Mark B Davies

  23456  M B W H
  26354  2     -  C.DCC.DCB.
 (65243)   -      BDDC.
  54632    -      DCB.BC
  43526    -      BCB.CDD
  32465    -      D.BC
  25463  -     2  BB.CDDD.B.
  56234    -      CBB.CDD
 (53642)   -      D.
  25346  -     -  DB.DCB.
  42356      -    DDCD.CCBBC

      Music 60/24/122
        COM 108

    Bristol 1536
       Deva 1824
   Cornwall 1728

5088 Spliced Surprise Major (4 methods)
Composed by Mark B Davies

  23456  M B W H
  52364    -   2  CL.BCCDC.CLLD.
 (65324)     -    BBDB.
  52643    -      CLL.DCD
  24536    -      D.CB
  43265    -      BDDC.BC
  64352    -   2  BBL.CL.B.
 (56342)     -    LLDB.
 (64523)   -      DB.
  42356  -   2    DB.BLCC.B.CCCC

      Music 60/24/132
        COM 111

    Bristol 1440
       Deva 1056
   Cornwall 1632
   Lessness  960

5184 Spliced Surprise Major (5 methods)
Composed by Mark B Davies

  23456  M W B H
  35264      -    CL.BBL
 (63542)   2 -    MBD.B.DB.
  53462  -   - -  DB.LL.D.
 (53624)   - -    CDB.MLL.
 (32546)     -    DBL.
  24365      -    CMMCDC.BM
  24653      - -  CDCMB.CL.
 (45236)     -    MDMCB.
  34256    -      MMCCL.CMCM

      Music 63/24/131
        COM 144

    Bristol 1056
       Deva  864
   Cornwall 1248
   Lessness  864
     Malpas 1152

5088 Spliced Surprise Major (6 methods)
Composed by Mark B Davies

  23456  M B W H
  52364    -   2  CM.SS.CLLD.
  65324      -    BDL.CCD
 (52643)   -      CM.
  24536    -      BS.MB
  43265    -      BDDL.BM
  64352    -   2  BMB.CL.DSDC.
  56342      -    BLMLM.B
 (64523)   -      SS.
  42356  -   2    DMS.DM.B.CMCC

      Music 66/24/146
        COM 135

    Bristol 960
       Deva 864
   Cornwall 960
   Lessness 672
     Malpas 960
Superlative 672