Back in 1991 I decided to sit down and write a program to search for extents of spliced surprise minor, in an attempt to increase the number of methods "from the book" that can be achieved in seven extents (currently 31 according to the 1986 CC Collection). My idea was to look at the front works and back works separately, and first to see whether two of the back works could be combined, without regard for which front works would be used to connect up the bits. The first step was to work out which combinations of front works and back works were possible.
It was then that I realized that the Cambridge and Chester groups shared the same front works, as did the London and Norwich groups (with the obvious exceptions of Norwich and Warkworth, since only the 2nds place London above methods are allowed). This surely could not be coincidence, and warranted further investigation. I discovered that for each pair of backworks the courses 23456 (for one) and 25643 (for the other) contained the same rows with the treble in 3-4: consequently the front works of these two courses in two separate 720s could be interchanged to construct a 1,440 containing the same rows but including more methods. I then abandoned my search for extents, and after a fair amount of fiddling about using other well-known splices was able to squeeze all 41 methods into a normal peal length. Old Bailey takes up the story in his composition review.
The 2,160 just fell into place once I had the idea of the three three-part blocks. The 1,440 was more of a challenge: there is little room for manoeuvre if plain leads of both the 2nds and 6ths place versions of all the methods are to be included. Although I had succeeded in producing a block without the aid of a computer I did write some software to help find a more elegant one. The Chester back work has to be a bit messy to fit everything in. John Warboys has since produced an arrangement on a similar plan that avoids the 65s at backstroke.
It took a bit longer than it might have done to score the peal, as I decided it would be nice to ring it in hand, not having rung a six-bell handbell peal before (or since). Roger forgot to tell me when he organized the first tower-bell attempt, with the result that I wasn't available when he phoned to confirm the date. I still haven't rung it!
Curiously the four treble-bob back works cannot be combined in the same way, nor can any be combined with the surprise works.
Annable's London can easily be included into the 2,160 at the expense of the three-part structure (so that all 41 methods can actually be included in 4,320 changes). Replace the first 720 with the following:
23456 Bm Wm -23564 An Ro Bc -36452 Bc St Lf Al Ws -52436 Lf -23645 Wm Ws Al Lf Bm -62345 Bm Ne Bm Lf Lf -36245 Bm -52364 Lf Bm Ne Bm Lf -35264 Ws Al Lf s24356
A peal of spliced is easily obtained by combining Annable's London and Warkworth into a 1,440 (eg use the standard calling and change method at each bob). However, both Richard Pearce and John Warboys have since produced 1,440s that include both methods as well as others, and will appeal more to the purist. John's composition can be arranged as two three-part blocks of 720 each with the same backwork throughout, fitting in nicely with my arrangements. Alternatively, the blocks with Cambridge and Carlisle backworks can be mixed up with John's arrangement to give a 2,880 in 19 methods. This, together with the 2,160 gives a peal in 34 methods that keeps the 3-part plan throughout.
John's block works by using a grid-splice spanning different backworks. He has extended his ideas to give a 5,040 in 41 methods (with no 65s at backstroke). He has also succeeded in producing equivalent compositions allowing all of the regular methods in each of the 4th's Place Delight, 3rd's Place Delight and Treble Bob groups to be rung in normal peal lengths, but is keeping these secret until they have been rung.
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This page created by Philip Saddleton
Last updated 25 October 1998