bob's on the ball, thinking exactly what i was- i told our handbell conductor i was going to make it modal and he looked at me strangely haha. ok am downloading the file jas, gonna take me 20mins cos my internet SUCKS so will come back to you with comments on what i think...but thanks heaps!
I see, so maybe you could do parts like an Indian Raga if you wanted to play with meter. Maybe some Solkattu added in. Or a hemiloa like an alternating 3/4, 6/8 every bar.
Or an addative like a 7 = 3 + 2 + 2;
or 7 = 2 + 2 + 3;
or 12 = 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 +2;
or 13 = 1 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 3 + 4 (kind of sounds like a chase sequence from an action movie)
or 13/4 = 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 1 (fools listener in thinking it's a regular rhythm)
You could change up the modes and uses something like Hejaz (same as Hava Nagila). Quartal harmony would be kinda cool - like quasi Scriabin.
Maybe you could do a boogie variation, with bass ostinato.
Topic: wacking up the blue danube