Kelso Surprise Minor

About Kelso Surprise Minor

Kelso is a challenging member of the "London above" group in having an asymmetrical 5-6 section. This is more difficult to ring than London and Wells.

The only other Surprise Methods having Kelso below the treble are Bamborough S. and Bacup S. of the Norwich group..

Method Structure.

Place Notation:
36 X 36. 14 X 12 X 36.12 X 12.36, 12, Bob 14, Single 1234.

Grid:

Diagram: Kelso Surprise Minor, plain lead, change-rows and grid.

Plain Course structure
The 1-2 section with backward hunting in 3-4-5-6 places needs close attention to get the backward thirds places crisp.

The pivot bell is 4ths place bell, and the parted pair, 2nds and 6ths place bells cross in 1-2 at the half lead. The half-lead coursing pair (3rds and 5ths place bells) cross over in 3-4.

Learning Kelso Surprise Minor.

The Structure

The structure is incorporated in the description above.

The Rules

Kelso is not suitable for ringing by rules.

Double Blue Lines

Kelso Surprise Minor, 1-2

Diagram: Kelso Surprise Minor, 1-2.

Kelso Surprise Minor, 3-4

Diagram: Kelso Surprise Minor, 3-4.

Kelso Surprise Minor, 5-6

Diagram: Kelso Surprise Minor, 5-6.

Artefacts

See London S Minor for notes on ringing London above the treble.

Place Notation and Grid

The grid is a useful overview of the method whilst the use of Place notation requires extra skill to apply to the asymmetric section.

Pictels

The method is too complex to chop into elements.

Ringing Kelso Surprise Minor.

Track the treble

Awareness of the position of the treble is a key skill for most bellringing methods, and a significant help in ringing Kelso Surprise Minor. Some hints and tips for developing the skill are given in the techniques section.

Positional Awareness

Assuming that London above has been rung, the main diffuculty in ringing Kelso is the change into and out of backward working under the treble. This occurs in a manner that introduces "points" in 3rds and 4ths. Consequently, detailed study of the lines and spacings / places is mandatory for Kelso.

Place Notation Elements

The method contains 5 elements: 36X36, 14, 12, 12X14, 56.

Place Bells, Pivot Leads, and Staging posts

• Pivot bell is 4ths place bell.
• Pivot for 3-4 pair is the 2-6 and the pair cfross in 1-2.
• Pivot for 5-6 pair is the cross-over in 3-4.

Awareness of other bells

Kelso Surprise Minor demands total total respect, awareness of the work of the other bells will develop with experience.

Coursing Order in Kelso Surprise Minor

Kelso is unhelpful re coursing order.

Ringing the Method

The difficulties in Kelso Surprise stem from:

• Backward hunting above the treble and in particular at the lead end. There is no comforting dodge to mark the place bells.

Bobs and Singles.

Bobs
Running in and out at the bob is more intuitive than making the 4ths and turning round to hunt out to the back.

Singles
All the bells make places and reflect back down the blue line.

Touches of Kelso Surprise Minor.

4ths place bell is the pivot bell, and hence the first lead end is 164523 giving calling positions from the tenor as:
Before, Wrong, In, 4ths, Home.

Complib has over 80 compositions for Kelso, however, only two of these are pure Kelso. Use bobs only touches of Little Bob Minor
to give triple the length of Kelso.