[r-t] 23 spliced major

[Philip Earis]

Don Morrison's 23-spliced major (#3997) was rung over the weekend - 
http://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=978577 - congratulations to the 
band.  I've copied the composition below - conceptually it seems similar to 
Leary's 23 spliced, designed to include methods which are not just each lead 
different, but which all have different first sections, an asymmetric 
section (often associated with spiky lines) and all leadend groups 
represented. 8 of the methods are familiar from Chandler's 23-spliced.

I like the concept of having lots of variety in the methods in a 
composition. Indeed, Don has another composition (#3679, also copied below), 
which is truly "every lead different", in that it's an 8-part where the 
treble's path is different in each method.  I think this is still unrung - 
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong - I hope a band gives it a go 
before long.

Having methods which are all very different isn't strongly correlated with 
difficulty, though, at least for me (I realise difficulty can be a very 
subjective concept with ringing). Indeed, having many methods which share 
features can really add to the confusion - this is certainly a factor in the 
mind-smashing 23-spliced Treble Bob major composition by Peter King 
(http://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=386215).  I found this vastly 
harder and longer to learn than Leary's. David Hull's "unrung" 23-spliced 
(still sadly unrung) has some of these features too.

What's next in the evolution of 23-spliced compositions, I wonder? Now Alan 
Reading and Rob Lee have produced maximally runny compositions, it feels to 
me like the future is unclear. I'm keen to hear any ideas people may have 
for worthwhile directions for spliced major compositions to take...

===

5152 Spliced Surprise Major (23 methods)
Donald F Morrison (no. 3997)

  2345678  Colden Water
  7856342  Dido
- 7864523  Pendle
  5637284  Inagua
  8472635  Whalley
- 6784523  Brightwell
  7462835  Gemini
  2345786  Swallow
  5836274  Nottinghamshire
  3528467  Newlyn
- 8674523  Esplanade
  5738264  Neodymium
  6482735  Sonning
- 4235678  Buckfastleigh
  8673542  Shepperton
  2547386  Rotherham
  6384725  Glasgow
  3462857  Swanfield
  7856234  Northampton
  5728463  Capricorn
- 7863542  Belfast
  6758234  Paraburdoo
  8374625  Willesden
- 5678234
Repeat six times

===

5008 Spliced Major (24 methods)
Donald F Morrison (no. 3679)
  12345678  Ansford Little Bob
  16482735  August Alliance
  17856342  Greater London Alliance
  15738264  Ightenhill Alliance
s 21436578  Umbrage Alliance
  26748153  Bristol Alliance
  23154867  Kingsbury Little Surprise
  24617385  Shepperton Surprise
- 28531746  Champion Surprise
- 23851746  Double Coslany Court Bob
- 25381746  Bradman Alliance
  28573614  Perivale Alliance
- 25314867  Romulan Alliance
  21583746  Belfast Little Alliance
  28175634  Zanussi Alliance
  26748315  Eskimo Blue Day Alliance
  24637581  Drill Bit Alliance
  23456178  Coventry Centenary Alliance
- 27815634  Spelthorne Surprise
  25384761  Spitalfields Festival Treble Place
  23456817  Aust Little Bob
  24631578  Xtraordinary Alliance
  21768453  Spitalfields Festival Alliance
- 21785634  Glazgow Little Surprise
  23456781
Repeat seven times.
s = 3456.
Believed to be the first truly each lead different peal of spliced produced: 
contains all the work, including the hunt works, of all the methods for 
every bell, including the treble, with each lead different, including the 
hunt works.
Contains 512 Champion Surprise, 384 Spelthorne Surprise, 288 Greater London 
Alliance, 256 each Shepperton Surprise and Spitalfields Festival Treble 
Place, 240 Spitalfields Festival Alliance, 224 each August Alliance, 
Ightenhill Alliance and Romulan Alliance, 192 each Bristol Alliance, Glazgow 
Little Surprise, Perivale Alliance, Umbrage Alliance, Xtraordinary Alliance 
and Zanussi Alliance, 176 Bradman Alliance, 160 each Belfast Little 
Alliance, Coventry Centenary Alliance, Drill Bit Alliance and Eskimo Blue 
Day Alliance, 128 each Double Coslany Court Bob and Kingsbury Little 
Surprise, 96 Aust Little Bob and 80 Ansford Little Bob, with 191 changes of 
method.