Course Topics
Foundation Skills
Aim:
This topic’s aim is to help ringers become more competent in basicmethod ringing by strengthening all the required foundation skills, and filling in any missing ones.If you are attempting Plain Hunt on 5 or 6, hunting the treble to doubles or minor and possibly even learning Plain Bob Doubles or Minor and/or Grandsire Doubles, but are finding it all rather difficult and feeling a little “lost” until you’ve learnt which bell to follow at each pull, then thistopic could be just what you need.
Contents:
If the above description sounds familiar, you’ve probably missed out on, or haven’t yet mastered, some of the foundation skills of method ringing.These are: a good handling style, confident and consistent bell control, good listening skills, ropesight, ringing by rhythm, and ringing by places. This topic aims to strengthen all these skills, or as many as possible in the time available, with some simple theory and lots of practice at useful exercises. The core skills will be developed by asuccession of easy small steps. When ready, we will focus on ringing “proper” Plain Hunt, which is the foundation for all early method ringing. Depending on progress, we could also cover some basic methods.
When you have mastered all the essential foundation skills you should be able to ring any method that you can learn the line for. Even if we don’t all achieve this rather ambitious goal, you will learn a great deal of useful information and improve your skills to get you closer to it.
Requirements:
The minimum ability for this topic is being able to handle a bell safely on your own, but you will benefit much more from the Course if you have already started learning Plain Hunt on 5 or 6, or if you’re learning Plain Bob or Grandsire but find this difficult, and you seem to be stuck at this level and not making any progress.
Plain Bob Minor
Aim:
Students should end the Course thoroughly confident in reliably ringing Plain Bob Minor, including touches and maybe even calling them.
Contents:
As well as getting lots of practice, you will learn the theory of Plain Bobalong with tips and tricks to help you stay right if you forget where you are and what the next dodge should be. With a few days of high quality tuition and practice you should be able to gain the equivalent of weeks or even months of practice night progress.
Requirements:
Ringers who are already reasonably confident in ringing Plain BobDoubles, preferably touches and even quarter peals, and now wish to extend their repertoire to Plain Bob Minor. Even better if you have already started to learn Plain Bob Minor.
From 6 to 8
Aim:
For ringers who are experienced and proficient in ringing doubles and minor methods and would now like to move on to ringing triples and major. You might currently be a little apprehensive about attending eight bell practices, but we hope you will leave the Course with the confidence to take full advantage of future opportunities to ring on eight.
Contents:
The sessions will ease you gently into ringing on eight bells using exercises and many small steps until you’re completely confident with this. We’ll then focus mainly on Grandsire Triples and Plain Bob Major, but will attempt to cover whatever you currently ring on six bells and would like to ring to triples and major.
Requirements:
Proficient and experienced with doubles and minor methods, preferably having rung a few quarter peals in each stage.
Starting Surprise Minor
Aim:
Ringers with little or no experience of surprise methods will receive advice and practice in learning and ringing Cambridge Surprise Minor. By the end we hope you will be ringing full plain courses, and maybe even short touches.
Contents:
Surprise minor is best learnt “by place bells” – think of this as 5 different short methods and the order to ring them in. The theory sessions will provide hints for learning the blue line(s) and dealing withtouches. Practical sessions will start with consolidating treble bob hunting and treble bob methods such as Kent. Then on to Cambridge learning and practising this in small easy steps until (hopefully) all the students can ring the whole method.
Requirements:
Applicants must be confident at ringing Plain Bob Minor at a “helper”level (i.e. they have rung quarter peals, and can ring the method confidently with people of about the same or less ability than themselves and on unfamiliar bells). They should be confident with at least one other minor method, and ideally will be familiar with treble-bobbing and have rung plain courses of Kent Treble Bob Minor. They must be prepared to do some homework before and during the Course.
Stedman Triples
Aim:
Students will gain a thorough understanding of Stedman theory and gain lots of confidence in ringing touches of Stedman Triples – yes, even including singles!
Contents:
This topic will cover and demystify all the fascinating theory of Stedman and provide ample opportunity to practise ringing the method.I mmerse yourself in a Stedman Triples boot camp for a few days and never look back!
Requirements:
Students must be able to ring Stedman Doubles and touches of Grandsire Triples confidently. Having started to learn and ring Stedman Triples would be an advantage.
Basic Conducting
Aim:
To learn how to accurately call a variety of touches of Plain Bob Doubles and Minor, and Grandsire Doubles. Depending on time and demand, the topic might also cover calling touches of Stedman Doubles.
Contents:
This topic will deal with calling positions in Plain Bob Doubles/Minor and Grandsire Doubles and give you the confidence to call a variety of touches, up to calling quarter peals. The emphasis will be on knowing and practising exactly when to make the calls, and building up a repertoire of touches of various lengths.
Requirements:
Students must already be confident in ringing touches of Plain Bob Doubles/Minor and Grandsire Doubles. You might even already have some limited experience in calling these methods, which would be an advantage.
Advanced Conducting
Aim:
To build on existing bob calling skills by learning how to keep the other ringers right, check that nothing has gone wrong (bells haven’t swapped) and put things right if they have gone wrong.
Contents:
You will learn things like the transposition of coursing order resulting from a call and how this explains why the familiar calling patterns work for many different methods. The topic will cover how you can keep track of the coursing order during a touch, know how a call will affect the coursing order, how this assists you in knowing which bell will do what at a call, and to put people right if they go wrong. It will open up the ‘magic box’ of conducting and cover what you should be doing in your head to help keep the ringing right, or at least know if it has gone wrong. There should be some real “light bulb” moments as you learn and understand some commonly used techniques that can make a huge difference to the chances of success in a touch or quarter.
Requirements:
Students must be confident calling touches of the basic methods, preferably having already called a few quarter peals.
Handbells
Aim:
To learn to ring changes on two handbells, each pair to plain hunt on six. To progress on to all pairs to plain bob minor and basic touches.
Contents:
This topic will cover an introduction to change ringing in hand, exploring the theory and giving plenty of practical experience, tailored to the needs of the students. If time and enthusiasm allows, there will be a chance to explore how the basic principles expand to ringing on more bells and more complicated methods.
Requirements:
Students must have some knowledge of tower bell method ringing but don’t need any prior experience in ringing handbells.