[Best Practices] splitting and combining choral parts

[Kieren MacMillan]

Hello list,

I’ve posted this question several times before, but the discussion always got 
truncated or derailed… I’m hoping this time we can work this through to a 
solution.

Choral pieces tend to have both sections of polyphony (requiring 4 or more 
staves) and sections of homophony (requiring as few as 1 staff). I want to be 
able to arbitrarily break systems and have Lilypond Do The Right Thing™, by 
which I mean use the maximum number of systems when necessary, but combine 
voices and lyrics to 3 or 2 staves or even 1 staff where possible.

Bonus points if we can convince Lily to automagically [e.g., via an engraver?] 
put a user-definable markup indicating who is singing at a given moment, add 
splitting-or-combining arrows at the end(s) of systems, etc.

I’ve attached the first 17 measures of one of my original carols as an example 
we can work with/through. Is anyone out there willing to work with me to find 
the Best Practice here? I’m happy to do this on-list or off-, as appropriate.

Thanks,
Kieren.
________________________________

Kieren MacMillan, composer
‣ website: www.kierenmacmillan.info
‣ email: address@hidden

WithersCarol_example.ly
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