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