[r-t] FW: A compositional question I am hoping a change-ringing theorist could help with! (re-sending)

[Ian Partridge]

On 9 June 2010 15:08, Mark Simos <msimos at berklee.edu> wrote:
> Ian: Thanks for your comments and thoughts. I need to decide the best way to
> discuss the musical principles of the subset I identified - I will work on a
> brief description of this.

I'd be interested to hear your description of these principles,
because if there is a logical (algorithmic?) way that you chose the
permutations, perhaps this could be reused or adapted to help you
decide the order the permutations should appear in?  Since
conventional change-ringing methods do not use "jump changes", you
will have to be inventive in defining how your "method" works.

> I'm fascinated by the modal ringing scenario you described. Would
> change-ringers discuss such peals using language like "Dorian" I wonder; or
> is there different terminology for such peals?

Ringers would probably describe that as ringing on a "minor 8".
Musicians realise that there is more than one minor scale, though.

>> You may be interested to learn that non-modal ringing does take place
>> - VERY occasionally.  I was privileged to ring in what we believe to
>> be the first ever peal on a set of chromatic bells - you can see the
>> details of the performance at
>> http://www.campanophile.com/view.aspx?78331  The notes of the bells
>> were (descending):  A flat, G, G flat, F, E, E flat.  The effect was
>> very eerie, and quite mesmeric.

> Here I assume you meant "non-diatonic" rather than non-modal?

Yes, non-diatonic, sorry :-)

> Or would the
> Ionian change-ringing with its limited implicit harmony and lack of
> accidentals be considered essentially modal (which would explain your
> mention of 'non-Ionian' change-ringing)?

I used "Ionian" to refer to the Western major scale, with the tonic as
the lowest note.  This is by far the most common mode used in
change-ringing.

-- 
Ian Partridge

City of Southampton Orchestra - http://www.csorchestra.org