Creating hymns

[Jefferson dos Santos Felix]

I don't like the hymn.ly template, and I have tryed to create a real
hymn score on lilypond 2.4, but I have some difficulties:

- How can I put the lyrics between the Treble and Bass clef?
- How can I adjust the spacement between stanzas?
- What's the best way to put a centered Refrain?
- Why lilypond doesn't put the lyrics corretly, when I use <<{...}\\{...}>> ?
- If it's possible (or more easy), where I get this explanations on manual?

Below, an hymn example (Near the Cross) where occours this problems:

%BEGIN
\version "2.4.1"

global = {
        \key f \major
        \time 6/4
        \set Staff.autoBeaming = ##f
        \set Staff.printPartCombineTexts = ##f
        \set Staff.minimumVerticalExtent = #'(-3 . 3)
}

\paper
{
        #(set-paper-size "a4")
        topmargin = 0.5\cm
        bottommargin = 1.0\cm
        leftmargin = 1.5\cm
        linewidth = 18.0\cm
        headsep = 0.01\cm
        footsep = 0.01\cm
        betweensystemspace = 0.01\cm
        betweensystempadding = 0.01\cm
        aftertitlespace = 0.01\mm
        beforetitlespace = 0.01\mm
}

\header
{
        title = "Near the Cross"
        poet = "Frances Jane (Fanny) Crosby, 1869"
        composer = "William Howard Doane"
        meter = \markup {"  " \note #"2." #+0.9 "=62" }
}

Refrain = \markup { \bold \italic { "" \raise #1.2 "Refrain" } }

soprano = \relative c''
{
        %%% SOPRANO %%%
        a2 bes4 a2 g4 f2 <<d4\\d>> <<d2.\\d>> c2 f4 f2 a4 a2. g \break
        a2 bes4 a2 g4 f2 <<d4\\d>> d2. c2 f4 f2 e4 g2. <<f\\f>> \bar "||" \break
        a2^\Refrain c4 c2. bes2 d4 d2. c2 d4 c2 a4 a2. g \break
        a2 bes4 a2 g4 f2 <<d4\\d>> d2. c2 f4 f2 e4 g2. <<f\\f>> \bar "|."
}

alto = \relative c'
{
        %%% ALTO %%%
        f2 f4 f2 e4 d2 s4 s2. a2 c4 c2 f4 f2. e
        f2 f4 f2 e4 d2 s4 bes2. a2 c4 c2 c4 e2. s
        f2 f4 f2. f2 f4 f2. f2 f4 f2 f4 f2. e
        c2 d4 c2 cis4 d2 s4 bes2. a2 c4 c2 c4 e2. s
}

tenor = \relative c'
{
        %%% TENOR %%%
}

bass = \relative c
{
        %%% BASS %%%
}

sopWords = 
{
}

\score
{
        <<
        \new Staff
        {
                \override Score.BarNumber #'break-visibility = #all-invisible
                \global
                \stemUp
                << \soprano \alto >>
                \addlyrics
                {
                        \set stanza = "1. "
                        Je -- sus, keep me near the cross,
                        There a pre -- cious fon -- tain
                        Free to all, a heal -- ing stream
                        Flows from Cal -- vary's moun -- tain.
                        
                }
                \addlyrics
                {
                        \set stanza = "2. "
                        Near the cross, a trem -- bling soul,
                        Love and mer -- cy found me;
                        There the bright and morn -- ing star
                        Sheds its beams a -- round me.
                        
                        %% Refrain
                        In the cross, in the cross,
                        Be my glory ever;
                        Till my rap -- tured soul shall find
                        rest be -- yond the ri -- ver.
                }
                \addlyrics
                {
                        \set stanza = "3. "
                        Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
                        Bring its scenes be --fore me;
                        Help me walk from day to day,
                        With its sha -- dows o'er me.
                }
                \addlyrics
                {
                        \set stanza = "4. "
                        Near the cross I'll watch and wait
                        Hop -- ing, trus -- ting e -- ver,
                        Till I reach the gold -- en strand,
                        Just be -- yond the ri -- ver.
                }
        }
        
        \new Staff
        {
                \clef bass
                \global
                \stemDown
                << \tenor \bass >>
        }
        >>
        
        \layout
        {
                indent = 0.0\cm
                %\context { \Score \override SpacingSpanner 
#'shortest-duration-space = #5.5 }
                %\context { \Score \override SpacingSpanner #'spacing-increment 
= #0.8 }
        }
        
        \midi {\tempo 4=93}
}

%END 
-- 
jEfF_[Feliks]