[r-t] [r-c] Definition of a peal (was Not A Block)

[Mark Davies]

John Harrison writes,

> In a peal of Grandsire Triples there are only 4
> different changes but there are 5040 different rows.

There might be only four different types of change, but there are 
definitely 5040 changes.

> I'm not sure what set changes are but the other two are forms of change
> ringing (look at the words).

Set changes are a very ancient form of jump changes. They are rung as 
follows. The band starts off ringing rounds. After a while the conductor 
calls out the name of a row he would like the band to ring - for 
example, Queens. At the next handstroke everyone tries to jump to that 
row as cleanly as possible. The piece continues with other "set changes" 
called. It may return to rounds several times, but is usually back in 
rounds when "stand" is called.

I would say set changes and change-ringing are two different things. I 
would also say call-changes and change-ringing are distinct from each other.

But it sounds like there is very little consensus over even this basic 
stuff. Maybe that's good! It is telling us we don't need and shouldn't 
have definitions. Carry on as we were before - it's worked for four 
hundred years after all.

MBD