Cloister Doubles
Cloister Doubles
I was first introduced to Cloister Doubles in June 2008 while ringing at Eckington as an introduction to the work performed in Stedman Doubles. I had barely got to grips with Plain Bob Doubles at that time and what I had seen of Stedman suggested that it was much more complex than Plain Bob. Having had a chance to look at both Cloister Doubles and Stedman Doubles I can now see how it can act as a gentle introduction.
Like any "Doubles" method there are five bells working, having a Tenor to cover (i.e. always in 6th place) helps by providing just a little more time and having the Tenor to lead off.
The most common introductory methods I have encountered are Grandsire and Plain Bob. In both of these methods the working bells all perform the same cycle of work (follow the same line) with the non-working bells Plain Hunting. This is not the case in Cloister Doubles, and the same is also true in Stedman Doubles.
In Cloister Doubles there are two cycles of work (or two lines). Bells #1, #4 and #5 follow one line and bells #2 and #3 follow a second line.
A "Plain Course" for Cloister Doubles on 6 bells is illustrated below.
To show the work of a particular bell choose from the following:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
| 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | |
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
| 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | |
| 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6 | |
| 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 | |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | |
| 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | |
| 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 | |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 6 | |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 6 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
So what is going on here?
- First consider the simplest of the two cycles of work, that performed by bells #2 and #3. They are simply hunting up and down but they only hunt as far as third place.
-
The other piece of work performed by bells #1, #4 and #5 is much more complicated but actually only includes three elements. The first and most familiar is a Plain Hunt, the treble starts by hunting out to the back and finishes by hunting back to the front and end by leading. However, when at the the back two additional pieces of work are performed both of which are a "double dodge". First a double dodge 4-5 up, followed by a double dodge 4-5 down.
If Grandsire or Plain Bob have been mastered before starting Cloister Doubles the notion of a dodge will not be new. Grandsire Doubles even includes (single) dodge 4-5 up and (single) dodge 4-5 down. A double dodge is simply a single dodge immediately followed by another single dodge, perhaps this is easier said than done.
I have not figured out what other clues you may get to help work your way through this one, though as it is short it may not matter. I'm sure cues would be valuable for Stedman though.
