Regular observers of the goings-on at 1 Albany Quadrant might have noticed that we have been working on Horton's Four (London, Bristol, Glasgow and Belfast), following a successful peal in the tower in December. From seeming impossible at first, it is gradually starting to feel more manageable, although we still find Belfast extremely difficult.

We have now rung three quarters, each time using a nice arrangement by Matthew Durham which is almost the first quarter of the classic peal composition. The obvious next step is to ring the next quarter of the composition, and so on, until we have been able to practise the whole peal. After some experimentation, I have come up with three more quarter peal compositions, so that the whole peal is covered. Here they are, with differences from the peal composition shown in bold.

First, Matthew Durham's arrangement.

1280 Spliced Surprise Major (4 methods)
Arranged by Matthew J L Durham

23456  M   B   W   H                  
-----------------------------------
35264      -           BBL.BFF        
42563  -           -   BLLG.BFBFLL.   
64523          -       GB.L           
26543          -       LG.B           
64235      -           FBFLLG.BFB     
23456      2   -       BBL.GB.BFB.B
----------------------------------- 

544 Bristol, 320 London, 256 Belfast (F), 160 Glasgow
From the peal by Roddy Horton.

The variation at the end to bring it round means that five consecutive leads of Glasgow, which occur at the end of the corresponding course of the peal, are omitted. It seems like a good idea to practise the rest of that course at the beginning of the next quarter.

1314 Spliced Surprise Major (4 methods)
Arranged by Simon J Gay

 23456  M  B  W  H
 ---------------------------------------
 36524  -  2  -  -   L.BFB.BG.FL.GGGGG.
 23564        -      FFBFBFF.F
 45362  -        -   L.GB.
 34562           -   LLG.
(53624) 2  3         L.F.LL.LG.BG.
(42536) 2     3*      GG.F.G.B.B,(B)
----------------------------------------
3* = --s

416 Glasgow, 320 Belfast (F), 290 Bristol, 288 London
From the peal by Roddy Horton.

The next composition goes all the way to the end of the tenors-together section. The beginning is rather neat, with just an extra bob at home needed to get from the plain course into this section.

1314 Spliced Surprise Major (4 methods)
Arranged by Simon J Gay

 23456  M  B  W  H
----------------------------------------
 45236        -  -   LG.L.
(32654) -     -      L.G.
(65243)    2  -       GG.BG.FBF.
 42635     3  2  -    GG.GB.BG.BFF.F.FB.
 23645  3     2      L.B.B.G.B.L
 46532  -     -      L.G.F
(63425)    -         BFBB.
(42536) -     2*      GG.G,B.(B)
----------------------------------------
2* = s-

448 Glasgow, 418 Bristol, 256 Belfast (F), 192 London
From the peal by Roddy Horton.

Reduce to 1250 if desired by omitting 3M and the associated leads of Bristol.

The final composition is closer to a third than a quarter, because it includes the whole tenors-parted section.

1632 Spliced Surprise Major (4 methods)
Arranged by Simon J Gay

 23456
---------------------------------------------
(723465) sW/sM/I/B/V/W   BG,BL,L.F.L.FF.
 273564            V/W    GB.L.F
(742365) I/V/V           LL.BL.GL.
 275463  F/I/B/B/F/3H     BG.F.F.GB.B.G.F.F.
 742653  M/M/W/W         L.GL.G.B.L
 352764  V/I/F/3V/W      G.GG.BF.FFL.GL.F.L.B
 23456   V/H             G.FL.                
---------------------------------------------

480 London, 416 Belfast (F), 416 Glasgow, 320 Bristol 
From the peal by Roddy Horton.

So there you have it - Horton's Four in four quarters, with only 3 leads missing, 17 leads added, 2 leads repeated, 1 lead changed, and 1 bob added in an otherwise unchanged section. Now let's see if we can ring them all.