Arthur Craven's headstone

While preparing my video about Yorkshire Maximus, I discovered that Arthur Craven, who composed Yorkshire Major and its extensions, is buried in Sheffield and has a marvellous headstone. Last weekend I happened to be in Sheffield visiting my sister, and we decided to go and find the grave.

Arthur Craven is also mentioned in my video about Bristol, as he was involved in the discussion about how to extend it from major to royal - although I'm not absolutely sure he was the originator of the extension as this obituary suggests.

Visiting Craven's grave was a bit of reconnaissance for an evolving idea. As the Central Council meeting and Ringing Roadshow will be taking place in Sheffield during the first weekend in September, I am hoping to assemble a handbell band to ring some Yorkshire next to the grave. Maybe even a quarter of either major or royal. In a while I will try to use the magic of Facebook to recruit ringers, but meanwhile if anyone is expecting to be within range on Saturday 6th September and would like to join in, please let me know.

This isn't a handbell article, except in as much as we might hope eventually to ring on handbells anything that we are ringing in the tower. But I want to write about some compositions, so here goes.

We've assembled a Scottish Association spliced surprise royal peal band, finally trying to...