Kent and Oxford Variations
Method Splicing Part II - Major Methods
This text has been transcribed from pages 34 to 38 of Method Splicing Part II - Major Methods by Giles B Thompson, 1968.
2. ‘Variations’ of Kent and Oxford Treble Bob
Generally speaking, touches produced by ringing treble-bob with Kent or Oxford 1-2 sections at will have been styled “combined” whereas they are really spliced with the method changed at the half lead. Peals have been rung with the methods ‘properly’ spliced – i.e. change at the treble’s lead, and these will be mentioned. There are a number of ‘variations’ and these will be dealt with in chronological order of their appearance.
2.1 Hudson’s New Light on Treble Bob
By changing the 1-2 section from Kent places to Oxford in the third lead of the course of Treble-Bob, William Hudson found that a block of 25 leads is produced. Here it is set out by the 1st and 4th rows of the 1-2 sections:
K 12345678 21436587 K 21345678 12436587 K 14263857 41628375 K 41263857 14628375 K 16482735 61847253 O 61487253 16478253 O 14678523 41675832 K 41768523 14675832 K 16457382 61543728 K 61457382 16543728 15634278 Four times repeated 4263578 3526478 6452378 2345678
Hudson’s own peal of 5184 was built up from this block by bobbing some of the Oxford leads and adding 6ths place bobs at Home. The importance of his peal is that it is the basis of the more modern ‘variations’ Worcester and Ilkeston. The leads which are cut out of the middle of the course are just those in which the methods’ liability to falseness lies and also those leads which some consider unmusical as the tenors are split up. With these leads cut out the method is rendered ‘clean’ though this gain is offset by the loss of freedom imposed on the composer by the obligatory “Ox at 3” and the consequential stereotyped nature of the peals. (For Hudson’s peal and notes on it see RW 1921 pp 143, 527).
2.2. Worcester
The means of extending the basic block is by using extra “Oxfords” at leads 1 and 5. Here are the effects of these calls:
Oxford at lead 1 Oxford at lead 5 K 12345678 4 21436587 K 16457382 O 21345678 61543728 12346587 1 O 61457382 O 13264857 16453728 5 31268475 O 14635278 K 31624857 41632587 13268475 2 41365287
In the first case the coursing order changes from ABCDE to ADEBC and in the latter case from ABCDE to CDABE.
2.3 Ilkeston
This has the same basic course but uses ordinary Kent bobs at the M, W and H calling positions. It is the most commonly rung as it allows greater freedom in composition than does Worcester without the difficulties of Killamarsh. (qv).
2.4 Liversedge
This has a different basic course, having Oxford bobs at the 3rd and 5th leads of a seven lead course, the tenors making the bobs. Ordinary Kent bobs are also rung at W, M, H. The method was introduced by E. Morris (RW 1928 p107).
2.5 Killamarsh
This is the most free, allowing Kent or Oxford plained or bobbed at will. Anyone interested should study the compositions of C. Severn (RW 1930 p571). An article on Kent and Oxford by Maurice Hodgson (RW 1952 p577) is very valuable as it shows Killamarsh to be more regular and easier to compose than might be otherwise supposed. It may have Oxford plain at M or H and Kent or Oxford bobs at M, W or H (one Oxford bob being equivalent to two Kent bobs). If a chosen set of courses are written down noting the effects of bobs at M, W and H it may prove possible to join them up using plain Oxford at the third lead (eliminating any liability to falseness at the same time). If one round block is produced in this way you have Ilkeston. If there is more than one round block they may join up by using plain Oxford leads at M or H to give Killamarsh. The examples given are most illuminating and help to show the construction of Severn’s peals.
The remaining ‘variations’ are really spliced courses of Treble-Bob and Little methods:
2.6 Gonville
The leads where 7,8 would be in the slow are rung as Gonville Little Treble-Bob:
Ring Kent TB to 16847253 Gonville Little TB 18674523 81675432 18764523 81765432 81674523 18675432 81764523 18765432 Gonville Little TB 17856342 71853624 17586342 71583624 71856342 17853624 71586342 17583624 then Kent TB 15738264
2.7 Granta
This is Kent Treble Bob with Bastow Little Bob rung when the tenors should be in the slow.
Ring Kent TB to 16847253 Bastow Little Bob 18674523 81765432 81674523 18765432 Bastow Little Bob 17856342 71583624 71856342 17583624 then Kent TB 15738264
2.8 Cam
This is the same as Granta, except that Kent Little Bob is rung in place of Bastow.
Ring Kent TB to 16847253 Kent Little Bob 18674523 81675432 81764523 18765432 Kent Little Bob 17856342 71853624 71586342 17583624 then Kent TB 15738264
2.9 Peal Compositions
Here are the original peals of Worcester, Ilkeston and Liversedge together with another example of Ilkeston:
5280 Worcester 5056 Ilkeston Composed by Henry W Wilde Composed by Edward C Gobey 23456 1 3 5 23456 M 3 W H 32456 o o o 42635 oo | 25634 o ooo 26435 2 o 2 – | A 32654 o o 46325 2 o 2 | 24365 o oo 36245 2 o 2 | 36524 o ooo 65324 A 23564 o o 24536 o 3 part; o = Oxford Plain Lead. 23456 – 2A RW 1921, p739. o = Oxford Plain Lead. RW 1921, p396.
5280 Liversedge 5184 Ilkeston Composed by Ernest Morris Composed by Edwin H Timbrell 23456 M 3 5 W H 23456 M 3 W H 53246 2 x x – 2 35426 2 o – 46325 x x 45236 2 o 2 25634 x x 25346 2 o 2 34562 x x 52364 2 oo – 5 part; x = Oxford Bobbed Lead. 36245 o – History & Art of Change Ringing, p401. 23645 2 o 2 3 part; o = Oxford Plain Lead.
2.10 Spliced Kent and Oxford Treble Bob
Besides the so-called variations mentioned above, there have been peals produced which were really spliced. The earliest of these was by A.J. Pitman and comprised an equal number of rows of each method, there were 18 changes of method in a 13 course peal (RW 1927 p165). Some years later A.G. Driver produced an arrangement of leads of Kent and Oxford which would run true to any peal of TB with the tenors together and all the courses rung: KOKKKKO with any extra leads from bobs W or M rung Oxford and extra H leads rung as Kent. Alternatively the basic calling could be OKOOOOK with W and M calls Kent and H bobs Oxford. RW 1925 p214 gives an unusual peal by J.W. Parker. It consists of a half-peal block of each method with the Oxford block inserted into the Kent starting at the 29th row or the third lead of the peal, reverting to Kent at a similar point some 7 course later. A.J. Pitman has as usual explored every avenue and published a peal of 25920 Treble Bob, being Kent with Oxford plain leads and Oxford bob leads. It is in five parts and each part consists of a block of courses 10070008 and a block of mainly Worcester with the tenors together (RW 1924 p171).
25920 Kent Treble Bob Major Composed by Albert J Pitman 2345678 M F V T W H 56342 x x 4376528 o x o x 2675438 x x 3574268 x x 52743 x o x 34725 x x x 6274538 x x x 3475628 x x 2576348 x x 53762 x o x 4672538 x x 65724 x o x 6253478 x 36524 o x x 24653 x x 53462 x x 65432 o x x 32546 x x 65243 x x x 42563 x x x 63254 x x 5623478 o x x 5 part; o = Oxford Plain Lead; x = Oxford Bobbed Lead.
