Non-alignment of lyrics in occasional divisi

[Martin Baker]

Hello. I am type-setting a choral piece and there is a need for occasional divisi within a part. In the example code below, I want all the lyrics to align horizontally - at the moment when moving from unison to divisi the lyrics interfere with each other and are pushed up or down. In most divisi sections the lyrics need only to be under the stave, but not always, as in the soprano bb 7 & 8.

I have tried an option where only one new voice is created for each divisi, but then the stemming becomes a problem. I want the stems to be as in this example - when a part divides the upper part should be stems up and the lower part stems down.

Thank you for any help. Martin

\version "2.20.0"

\language "english"

#(set-default-paper-size "a4")

#(set-global-staff-size 16.2)

global = \transpose c c {

\key bf \major

\time 3/4

\skip 1*3/4*13

\bar "|."

}

Soprano = \relative c''

{

g4 g4 g8 g8 |

g8 g8 g2 \breathe |

<<

\new Voice = SopranoOne 

{

\voiceOne

d'4. d8 d4 |

d4. d8 d4 |

d2 r4 |

R1*3/4 |

r8 d8 d4 d4 |

d8 d4.

}

\new Voice = SopranoTwo

{

\voiceTwo

bf4. bf8 bf4 |

bf4. bf8 bf4 |

bf2 r4 |

r4 bf4 bf4 |

bf2.~ |

bf2

}

\oneVoice

>>

r4 |

R1*3/4 |

R1*3/4 |

r8

<<

\new Voice = SopranoOne

{

\voiceOne

g'8 g4 g4 |

g2 

}

\new Voice = SopranoThree

{

\voiceTwo

d8 d4 d4 |

d2

}

\oneVoice

>>

r4 |

g,2. |

}

Alto = \relative c''

{

% 1

g4 g4 g8 g8 |

g8 g8 g2 \breathe |

% 3

g4. g8 g4 |

g4. g8 g4 |

g2 r4|

% 6

r4 g4 g4 |

g2. ~ |

g2 r4 |

% 9

r4 g4 g4 |

g8 g4. r4 |

% 11

r4

<<

\new Voice = AltoOne

{

\voiceOne

bf4 bf4|

bf2

}

\new Voice = AltoTwo

{

\voiceTwo

g4 g4 |

g2

}

\oneVoice

>>

% 13

r4 |

g2. |

}

SopranoLyrics = \lyricmode {

This phrase is the nor -- mal bit. Yeah!

}

SopranoOneLyrics = \lyricmode {

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ and I sing la -- ter.

}

SopranoTwoLyrics = \lyricmode {

Here the sop -- ra -- no di -- vides.

I sing low __

}

SopranoThreeLyrics = \lyricmode {

Sop -- ra -- no words.

}

AltoLyrics = \lyricmode {

This phrase is the nor -- mal bit.

Here the sop -- ra -- no di -- vides.

I am bored. __

I am so -- lo.

Yeah!

}

AltoOneLyrics = \lyricmode {

Al -- to words.

}

\score {

<<

\new ChoirStaff

<<

\new Staff = "soprano"

<<

\global

\new Voice="v1"

{

\set Staff.shortInstrumentName = "S"

\set Staff.instrumentName = "Soprano"

\clef "treble"

\Soprano

}

\new Lyrics \lyricsto "v1" { \SopranoLyrics }

\new Lyrics \with { alignAboveContext = #"soprano" } \lyricsto "SopranoOne" { \SopranoOneLyrics }

\new Lyrics \lyricsto "SopranoTwo" { \SopranoTwoLyrics }

\new Lyrics \lyricsto "SopranoThree" { \SopranoThreeLyrics }

>>

\new Staff = "alto"

<<

\global

\new Voice="v2"

{

\set Staff.shortInstrumentName = "A"

\set Staff.instrumentName = "Alto"

\clef "treble"

\Alto

}

\new Lyrics \with { alignBelowContext = #"alto" } \lyricsto "v2" { \AltoLyrics }

\new Lyrics \with { alignBelowContext = #"alto" } \lyricsto "AltoOne" { \AltoOneLyrics }

>>

>>

>>

}

\paper{

  ragged-last-bottom = ##t

  system-system-spacing =

  #'((basic-distance . 20) (minimum-distance . 0) (padding . 5))

}