Four Shires Guild of Bell Ringers

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More Interesting Touches of Grandsire Doubles: 240s

Grandsire Doubles continues to provide fascinating and fun-packed callings. Luckily, it is one of our staple diets, so we can get a lot from it. It's likely most conductors know there are 240s of Grandsire Doubles, where a style of calling gives all the 120 changes twice over in one chunk of calling and the first rounds can appear at any lead-end. Why, you might ask, do we have these, when you can call two different 120s? There is no good reason other than being able to get away from standard callings of the 2-parts and 3-parts. These are based on the 3rd and 5th being the observation bells. The 240s mix the bells up much more. There are generally no observation bells (although there are honourable exceptions), so it's more exciting for those two bells.

I expect most conductors of Grandsire Doubles will have heard of 240s by Leslie Morris, Albert Pitman and Brian Price. They're the ones that seem to have been published widely and therefore have become the 'regulars'. It may not be widely known that Brian Price composed two 240s, so there's four in total. Trawling the internet, as you do, revealed there are a fair number of 240s. Some of these give all the changes once at handstroke and backstroke, but it's not a 'legal' requirement for composition. For instance, of the four cited above, only Morris's and Price's have this property, although I may be wrong on this. I managed to find a total of 15 (including the four above). Most can be called cyclically, in that they can be started at different points in the composition — the same as the basic 120s, when started in different places, give either 3rd's or 5th's observation, or different work in the 3-parts. If cyclic calling is applied, then this increases the 240s total significantly: probably to mid 20s, or beyond, ie a large repertoire to play with. This is, of course, far more than the total of the 120s, which, with all the cyclic calling possible, is still only 10.

The 240s I found come in all shapes, sizes and complexity. I did find one gem (by Eddie Martin) in which the 3rd or the 5th are the observation bells throughout the whole thing, which is unusual, and it's certainly worth having a go at it. I did find another one with this property, but it's rather basic and it had me wondering whether it really was a 240, but I concluded it was and have included it here.

240 Grandsire Doubles (1)
    Albert Pitman
12345
15423 S
13254 S
14532 S
14253
13542 S
14235 B
15342 S
15234
14352 S
15243 B
13452 S
13245
14532 B
12345 S
14523 B
14352
12543 S
14325 B
15243 S
15324
14253 S
15324 B
12453 S
12345
(One part)
240 Grandsire Doubles (2)
    Unattributed
12345
12534
12453
13524 S
12435 B
15324 S
15432
12354 S
12435
12543
13425 S
12534 B
14325 S
14532
13245 B
13524
13452
15234 B
15423
13254 S
13425
13542
14235 B
14523
12345 B
(One part)
240 Grandsire Doubles (3)
    Unattributed
12345
15423 S
15342
14253 B
14325
12543 B
12354
14523 S
12345 B
15423 S
12354 B
14523 S
14352
12543 S
13425 S
12534 B
14325 S
15243 S
15324
14253 S
13542 S
14235 B
15342 S
12453 S
12345
(One part)
240 Grandsire Doubles (4)
    Unattributed
12345
12534
12453
13524 S
12435 B
15324 S
15432
12354 S
12435
13524 B
13452
12534 S
14325 S
12543 B
13425 S
15234 S
15423
13254 S
13425
13542
14235 B
14523
13245 S
14532 B
12345 S
(One part)
240 Grandsire Doubles (5)
    Unattributed
12345
14523 B
14352
12543 S
13425 S
15234 S
15423
13254 S
14532 S
13245 B
15432 S
12354 S
12435
15324 S
14253 S
15342 B
12453 S
13524 S
13452
12534 S
14325 S
15243 S
15324
12453 B
12345
(One part)

  240 Grandsire Doubles (5 & 6)
      Edward W Martin
12345                   12345
14523 B  │              12534
14352    │              13425 B  │
12543 S  │              13542    │
12354    │              12435 S  │
15423 B  │              12543    │
15342    │ =A           14325 B  │
12453 S  │              14532    │ =A
15324 B  │              12345 S  │
14253 S  │              14523 B  │
14325    │              13245 S  │
15243 S  ⌡              13524    │
14352 B                 14235 S  ⌡
12453 repeat 'A' above  13542 B
12345                   12345 repeat 'A' above
(3rd the observ'n)      (5th the observ'n)
  240 Grandsire Doubles (7 & 8)
      two by Brian D Price
12345                   12345
15423 S                 12534
15342                   13425 B
12453 S                 13542
13524 S                 13254
12435 B                 15432 B
15324 S                 15243
14253 S                 13452 S
14325                   15234 B
12543 B                 14352 S
12354                   14235
14523 S                 14523
13245 S                 13245 S

Repeat (2 part)         Repeat (2 part)

(These comps repeat at hand & back)
  240 Grandsire Doubles (9 & 10)
      Unattributed 
12345                   12345
12534                   14523 B
13425 B                 14352
13542                   15243 B
14235 B                 15324
14523                   12453 B
12345 B                 12345
12534                   14523 B
13425 B                 14352
13542                   15243 B
14235 B                 15324
14523                   14253 S
13245 S                 14325

Repeat (2 part)         Repeat (2 part)

(3rd the observ'n)      (5th the observ'n)

240 Grandsire Doubles (11)
    Unattributed
12345
15423 S
15342
12453 S
15324 B
14253 S
14325
15243 S
14352 B
12543 S
12354
14523 S
14352
12543 S
14325 B
15243 S
15324
14253 S
15342 B
12453 S
12345
15423 S
12354 B
14523 S
12345 B
240 Grandsire Doubles (12)
    Unattributed
12345
12534
14325 S
14532
13245 B
13524
12435 B
13524 B
13452
15234 B
15423
12354 B
12435
12543
13425 S
13542
13254
15432 B
15243
14352 B
14235
13542 B
14235 B
14523
12345 B
240 Grandsire Doubles (13)
    E Maurice Atkins
12345
15423 S
13254 S
15432 B
12354 S
12435
15324 S
12453 B
13524 S
13452
12534 S
13425 B
15234 S
15423
12354 B
14523 S
14352
12543 S
14325 B
15243 S
15324
14253 S
15342 B
12453 S
12345
240 Grandsire Doubles (14 & 15)
    Leslie W G Morris
12345
15423 S                 12534
13254 S                 14325 S
14532 S                 15243 S
13245 B                 13452 S
15432 S                 15234 B
12354 S                 14352 S
14523 S                 12543 S
14352                   13425 S
Repeat twice (3 part)   Repeat twice (3 part)
3rd the half-hunt       5th the half-hunt
These comps repeat at hand & back

That's probably enough to digest at the moment! There are a few other wonderful compositions of Grandsire Doubles — 840s and 720s — I will give at another time.

Some of the 1-parts have rather 'wild' formats, but I've started no. 5 at the last lead as shown on the 'net, to make it largely palindromic about the half-way point for easier memorising. Number 12 has an entertaining layout of almost all bobs.

Might we see some Qs (or peals) of Grandsire Doubles that include these 240s?

CMP