Bellscasting
Jun. 18th, 2023 04:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sorcyressBells today had two moments which were _really_ good.
The part within these bold tags is the technical part where I use a lot of unexplained jargon
The first was getting to ring Annabel's London again, a method I have only rung once, six months ago. We had one false start (another ringer hadn't studied and needed to) but when we actually set to it, we finished and Laura said she wanted to give stickers to the whole band. It was good! I knew it so sharp! Like, it's more attention paid than Cambridge, but I definitely know this one, and because I learn surprise by place bells, I will definitely be able to ring this in QPs or whatever, once we get calls.
Several months ago, Leland asked me what I'd like for my first peal1 and I was talking with Austin about it and I think I really do want mixed surprise minor. One extent each of seven different methods --throw plain bob in there, and I only need to learn six of them. Austin even obligingly wrote all over my whiteboard the different families, and told me which ones would be best although I've forgotten the specifics and need to ask him again.
At any rate, being solid on Annabel's gets me to 4/6 surprise minor methods2. So eventually I learn those other two and then get the team together (possibly out at Smith?) and ring the bells for three hours hell yes.
Thus ends the really really jargony bit and now we return to normal levels of jargon
The second was getting to do witchcraft in the tower. I don't really know how else to describe the moment, it felt like ritual and spellcasting in all the best ways.
Elishka has been learning various things, but has not yet gotten a chance to lead. So we're set up for rounds on eight, with them leading, and Austin suggests that we come in one at a time, as an easier form of practice for them. Which first off, worked _awesome_ from a pedagogical standpoint, 'Lishka was able to adjust to the different number of bells after quite well, and it gave really good practice in leading.
But just...from an everything else standpoint. 1. 1. 1. 12. 12. 12. 123. 123. 1234. 1234. 12345...new bells coming in every few strokes, building up to 12345678. And me on the tenor, last to arrive and then of *course* after a few dozen strokes I stood and quietly said to Josh on the 7 to stand when he was ready, and the sound dwindled back out to just Elishka alone and it was _so good_.
I don't know that anyone else felt like it was witchery, but it was such a nice reminder that sometimes my hobbies have magic in them, that sometimes the threads of beauty and humanity that I crave are everywhere around me. We created it together --and that's also unusual, I don't cast in public-- and we brought the sound and the space and the physicality and the music together and it was just...entirely correct. What a fucking staggeringly cool moment!
Anyways, it made up for me completely falling apart at Grandsire fifteen minutes later. Speaking of which, I have a quarterpeal tomorrow, so it's time to stop dozing on the couch and sleep in a real bed for a few hours before that. Ta!
~Sor
MOOP!
1: The ~specifications~ around what make a peal are so funny to me, because I already had my first peal attempt, but because we only rang like 4980 changes instead of 5040, it doesn't count. And like sure, fine, you gotta reach the magic number but I have deffo successfully proof-of-concepted the idea that I can ring for three hours straight.
2: It feels like cheating to say Cambridge *and* Primrose, but they are different! Also Beverly, for those keeping track at home.
The part within these bold tags is the technical part where I use a lot of unexplained jargon
The first was getting to ring Annabel's London again, a method I have only rung once, six months ago. We had one false start (another ringer hadn't studied and needed to) but when we actually set to it, we finished and Laura said she wanted to give stickers to the whole band. It was good! I knew it so sharp! Like, it's more attention paid than Cambridge, but I definitely know this one, and because I learn surprise by place bells, I will definitely be able to ring this in QPs or whatever, once we get calls.
Several months ago, Leland asked me what I'd like for my first peal1 and I was talking with Austin about it and I think I really do want mixed surprise minor. One extent each of seven different methods --throw plain bob in there, and I only need to learn six of them. Austin even obligingly wrote all over my whiteboard the different families, and told me which ones would be best although I've forgotten the specifics and need to ask him again.
At any rate, being solid on Annabel's gets me to 4/6 surprise minor methods2. So eventually I learn those other two and then get the team together (possibly out at Smith?) and ring the bells for three hours hell yes.
Thus ends the really really jargony bit and now we return to normal levels of jargon
The second was getting to do witchcraft in the tower. I don't really know how else to describe the moment, it felt like ritual and spellcasting in all the best ways.
Elishka has been learning various things, but has not yet gotten a chance to lead. So we're set up for rounds on eight, with them leading, and Austin suggests that we come in one at a time, as an easier form of practice for them. Which first off, worked _awesome_ from a pedagogical standpoint, 'Lishka was able to adjust to the different number of bells after quite well, and it gave really good practice in leading.
But just...from an everything else standpoint. 1. 1. 1. 12. 12. 12. 123. 123. 1234. 1234. 12345...new bells coming in every few strokes, building up to 12345678. And me on the tenor, last to arrive and then of *course* after a few dozen strokes I stood and quietly said to Josh on the 7 to stand when he was ready, and the sound dwindled back out to just Elishka alone and it was _so good_.
I don't know that anyone else felt like it was witchery, but it was such a nice reminder that sometimes my hobbies have magic in them, that sometimes the threads of beauty and humanity that I crave are everywhere around me. We created it together --and that's also unusual, I don't cast in public-- and we brought the sound and the space and the physicality and the music together and it was just...entirely correct. What a fucking staggeringly cool moment!
Anyways, it made up for me completely falling apart at Grandsire fifteen minutes later. Speaking of which, I have a quarterpeal tomorrow, so it's time to stop dozing on the couch and sleep in a real bed for a few hours before that. Ta!
~Sor
MOOP!
1: The ~specifications~ around what make a peal are so funny to me, because I already had my first peal attempt, but because we only rang like 4980 changes instead of 5040, it doesn't count. And like sure, fine, you gotta reach the magic number but I have deffo successfully proof-of-concepted the idea that I can ring for three hours straight.
2: It feels like cheating to say Cambridge *and* Primrose, but they are different! Also Beverly, for those keeping track at home.