Four Shires Guild of Bell Ringers

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Original to the End!

In my previous four articles [Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4] I have covered Original Minor and Triples. In this last-in-series I hope to introduce you to the interesting possibilities of ringing this principle on 8 bells and beyond.

I will assume you already have the basic idea about original from my other articles (which you can find in the last four issues of the FSG newsletter). The main thrust is that the principle is plain hunt, on any number of bells, with bobs (and sometimes singles) in.

Original Major

Conventional wisdom (and probably ringing purists) would have us make bobs in 6th place, with the back two bells dodging. Musically, however, I believe this to be far less rewarding than making bobs in fourth's place, and it is only this latter version that I will use in what follows.

So, in Original Major we therefore make the bobs in 4th's place. First of all, here are the first 6 changes of the plain course (ie without any bobs):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
2 1 4 3 6 5 8 7
2 4 1 6 3 8 5 7 *
4 2 6 1 8 3 7 5
4 6 2 8 1 7 3 5
6 4 8 2 7 1 5 3
6 8 4 7 2 5 1 3

Bobs are called at a backstroke, and they take effect immediately at the next handstroke and backstroke. So, if a bob is called when row * is struck, the following happens:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
2 1 4 3 6 5 8 7
2 4 1 6 3 8 5 7 CALL BOB
4 2 6 1 8 3 7 5
4 6 2 1 3 8 5 7
6 4 1 2 8 3 7 5
6 1 4 8 2 7 3 5

So, if at the backstroke at which the bob is called you are in 3rd's place going up, then at the next handstroke and backstroke you make two blows in 4th's and hunt in. This is shown above by the path of the treble.

If, at the backstroke at which the bob is called, you are in positions 5, 6, 7, or 8, then you are required to dodge once in the place that you are then in. In the above, for example, the 8th is in the process of hunting down to the front, and finds itself in 6th place when the bob is called. So the 8th needs to dodge once, immediately, in 5-6 down, ending up two blows later back in 6th place ready to carry on hunting down. The bells in 5, 7, and 8th positions do similarly.

As usual, bobs can be made in immediate succession. So, suppose we called another bob at the next backstroke immediately following the previous call, then the following would happen:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
2 1 4 3 6 5 8 7
2 4 1 6 3 8 5 7 CALL BOB
4 2 6 1 8 3 7 5
4 6 2 1 3 8 5 7 CALL ANOTHER BOB
6 4 1 2 8 3 7 5
6 1 4 2 3 8 5 7
1 6 2 4 8 3 7 5
1 2 6 8 4 7 3 5

The result is that the four bells 5 6 7 8 dodge again (in the same places), while a second bell (the 2nd in this case) makes 4th's. There can be no more than three bobs in succession without the changes running false.

As usual, we identify where the bob comes in the touch by the place of the bell you are calling from when the bob is called. So, if you were calling the above touch from the tenor, we would say that 2 bobs in 6th's have been made.

Touches

Good music can readily be obtained from Original Major!

Touch 1: 108 changes of Original Major

Call 8:2 1 8Course end
   - -1 2 3 6 5 4 7 8
 -   -1 2 3 5 6 4 7 8
 Repeat twice 

This is a short and simple touch to learn and call. It has nice conventional 8-bell music and single dodging only, so could be a nice one to start with.

Touch 2: 240 changes of Original Major

Call 8:6 2 1 7 8Course end
 -   -   -2 4 3 1 5 6 7 8
   -   - -1 4 2 3 5 6 7 8
   -   - -3 4 1 2 5 6 7 8
 -   -   -4 2 1 3 5 6 7 8
   -   - -3 2 4 1 5 6 7 8
 -   -   -2 1 4 3 5 6 7 8
 Repeat 

This is more of a challenge for the conductor to remember! However, it's not that difficult to ring as the back bells keep together quite well. It contains all 24 5678 roll-ups while only using single dodging.

Touch 3: 276 changes of Original Major

Call 8:8 6 2Course end
 2 - -2 3 5 1 6 4 7 8
 3 -   2 3 1 4 6 5 7 8
 Repeat 5 times 

This is a cracker as its got loads of nice music (including a variety of roll-ups and tittums) and is really easy to remember. It's a bit long, though, so you need a bit of time to have a go at it!

The next two touches are for the more experienced band!

Touch 4: 204 changes of Original Major

Call 8:6 4 2 1 3 5 7 8Course end
 [-     - 33 1 2 5 6 4 7 8
     - 2 31 2 5 3 7 4 6 8
[..] = A3 - -   -   - 3]3 1 2 5 4 6 7 8
 A2 3 1 4 5 6 7 8
     -       - 31 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
 Repeat 5 times 

Touch 5: 172 changes of Original Major

Call 8:8 6 4 2 1 3 7Course end
 - 2 -1 3 5 2 7 4 6 8
 3       - - 
     -1 3 5 7 2 4 6 8
 3     -   - 
       - -   23 2 1 4 5 6 7 8
 Repeat 

Contains Queens and lots of 468s.

Original Caters

Not much to say about this, as I've not had many opportunities to have a go at it! In my version, bobs are made in 5th place (like triples), with dodges made by the bells in 67 & 89. As in triples, the bobs are called at a handstroke and are made immediately at the next backstroke and handstroke. It's musical to ring, but rather tricky to compose (there is some mathematical property of 9 bell permutations that, with 5th place bobs, causes falseness at every conceivable opportunity). Still, the touch below is true and very nice to ring if you have the band and the bells!

Touch: 148 changes of Original Caters

Call 4:2 4 8 9 7 5 3 1Course end
     - 3 - - - -5 3 4 2 1 6 7 9 8
(*)  -       - 
 -   3 -     - - 
 - -            1 2 3 4 5 7 6 9 8
 Repeat 

(*) Note that the bob at 4 in this row causes the 4th to make the bob, and so the bob at 5 comes immediately after - ie the two calls in this row are consecutive.

Original Royal

This really lives up to its "royal" title, and is arguably (and perhaps surprisingly) one of the best numbers of bells for original. With 4th place bobs, and dodging in 56, 78 & 90, the roll-ups are quite exceptional. Calls are made at backstroke, and the bob made at the next handstroke and backstroke, as in minor and major.

The first three touches keep all the back bells at home, and the first one is really simple to learn and call.

Touch 1: 156 changes of Original Royal

Call 10:0 9Course end
 2 -3 5 4 1 2 6 7 8 9 0
 - 22 3 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
 Repeat twice 

Touch 2: 176 changes of Original Royal

Call 10:0 9Course end
 2 -3 5 4 1 2 6 7 8 9 0
 - 22 3 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
 3 34 1 5 3 2 6 7 8 9 0
 2 33 2 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
 3 25 4 3 2 1 6 7 8 9 0
 3 31 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

Touch 3: 160 changes of Original Royal

Call 10:0 8 6 4 2 3Course end
 3 2 -   - - 
       - -  2 3 4 1 5 6 8 7 9 0
 Repeat three times 

Touch 4: 300 changes of Original Royal

Call 10:9 0Course end
 - 24 1 5 2 3 6 7 8 9 0
 - -3 2 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
 - -5 4 2 3 1 6 7 8 9 0
 2 -2 3 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
 Repeat twice 

This is longer and has fewer multiple dodges, which can be a relaxing for a change.

There is no space to put in any of the more complicated touches (which mix up all the back bells in most exciting ways!), except this final touch, which is simple to call. If you want more, then just let me know.

I do have a peal of Original Royal, which has 1004 calls, and unbelievable music. If anyone would like to call it, you know where I am!

I wish you much fun and joy ringing Original, on any number of bells, wherever you may be.

Robert Chadburn

Thank you for this excellent and comprehensive series, Robert. There is no good reason now why anyone should be ignorant of this fascinating principle, which is one of the easiest to ring, but equally one of the hardest to ring well. Ed