Ringing UP the scale is reversed as a sign of invasion or diasaster.
To vary the tune, one of the ringers, (the Conductor) will call a change in the order, for example, '2 follow 3' would produce 1,3,2,4,5,6... then perhaps '4 follow ' giving 1,3,2,5,4,6... etc.
Over the years ringers have devised patterns where the bells change one place every time they strike, starting and ending with rounds. 'Change Ringing': watch this....
1 2 3 4 5 6
2 1 4 3 6 5
2 4 1 6 3 5
4 2 6 1 5 3
4 6 2 5 1 3 This is the pattern for
6 4 5 2 3 1 PLAIN HUNT MINOR
6 5 4 3 2 1 the basis for all other Change-ringing.
5 6 3 4 1 .
5 3 6 . . . - can you fill in the rest of the grid?
3 5 . . . .
3 1 . . . .
1 . . . . .
12 3 4 5 6
Q: How long would it take to ring all the changes?
A: Obviously the more bells, the greater the number of different possible changes. The total can be calculated by a simple multiplication.
On five bells : 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 120 changes
(takes about 4 minutes to ring)
6 bells : 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 720 changes
(about 25 minutes)
7 bells : 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 1,260 changes
(about 3 hours - a 'peal')
8 bells : 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 40,320 changes
(has been done once)
9 bells : 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 362,880 changes
(never all rung)
10 bells: 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 3,628,800 changes
(takes about 90 days)
11 bells: 11 x 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 39,916,800 changes
(takes about 2.75 years)
12 bells: 12 x 11 x 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 479,001,600
(takes about 27 years!)
The only time the full extent of 40,320 unrepeated changes of Plain Bob Major (the fulest extent on eight bells) has been rung, was from 6.25am to 12.05am on 27 July 1963 at the Bell Foundry in Loughborough.