Re: Lyric problem when alternative begins with a rest

[Kieren MacMillan]

Hi Mats,

> This is unfortunately not a good habit and I remember several  
> emails on the mailing lists over the years where people have got  
> problems because they have used this solution. Since I'm getting  
> senile I cannot recall exactly what the problem was (an immediate  
> problem that comes to my mind is that \unfoldRepeats won't work).

Since I never use \unfoldRepeats, I've never run into the problem to  
which you're referring.
But thanks for warning me -- I'll adjust my coding practices  
accordingly.

> Also, what you do breaks the basic idea that the input to LilyPond  
> should describe the musical content,
> since the repeats are in integral part of the music. Clearly, the  
> musical meaning of
> \repeat volta 2 {c4 d e f } g1
> differs from
> c4 d e f g1
> You seem to view the repeat signs just as notational  
> embellishments, which I don't agree with.

I (also) don't view the repeat signs just as notational  
embellishments -- I've simply divided the notational content into two  
sections, called 'global' and 'notes', which are [always] recombined  
into a single musical expression for usage (output/MIDI/etc).

Would you also suggest that putting (e.g.) the time signatures in a  
global is somehow turning them into "notational embellishments"?

> On the other hand, for the lyrics, it probably solves the original  
> typesetting problems to just remove the \repeat and \alternative  
> from the lyrics.

As I suggested in my second email to Tim!  ;)

> Still I don't find that a completely satisfactory solution.

My least favourite solution is one where I have to do more work in  
order to maintain/modify the piece.
Embedding volta structures inside each Staff and Lyric (and ...) in a  
30-stave piece for organ, orchestra, and choir would *almost  
certainly* lead to that situation.

Cheers,
Kieren.