Setting Gregorian chant: Note spacing for two note neumes seem to depend on length of lyric text

[Matthew Fong]

Hello LilyPonders,

I am setting Gregorian chant in modern notation, using rhw example from the LilyPond online documentation on transcribing Gregorian chant located athttp://lilypond.org/doc/v2.20/Documentation/notation/working-with-ancient-music_002d_002dscenarios-and-solutions

I have two questions

1/ For the two note neumes, it appears the not their spacing is dependent upon the length of the lyric text below (easily seen in the tie length)

2/ For these multi-note (melismatic) neumes, is it possible to center the lyric text below, like the single note neumes? \override LyricText.self-alignment-X = #CENTER does not seem to do the trick.

---

Question 1: 

a/ PDF: 1-With_neither_Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent_nor_BarLine.X-extent.pdf

With neither \override Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent nor \override BarLine.X-extent (lines commented out).

See note spacing above lyrics in the first stanza "things", and in the second stanza "grace", "health", "warmth". I prefer the noise spacing of the "of."

b/ PDF: 2-With_only_Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent.pdf

Only \override Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent is uncommented.

If I take the suggestion in the documentation "to avoid that syllables of different width (such as “-ri” and “-rum”) spread the syllable note groups unevenly apart, the 'X-extent property of the LyricText object may be set to a fixed value," this results in the *consistent* note spacing I am looking for, but lyrics text collides with each other; it seems text spacing is worse than before. 

c/ PDF: 3-With_both_Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent_and_BarLine.X-extent.pdf

Both \override Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent and override BarLine.X-extent (lines uncommented).

If I uncomment \override BarLine.X-extent, the hyphenation is no longer centered the words, lyrics overlap, and there is some tight lyric spacing.

Note: I have tried promotional spacing, without much success. Hyphenation looks funny.

http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.19/Documentation/notation/proportional-notation

\override SpacingSpanner.base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1/32)

\override SpacingSpanner.common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1/32)

\override SpacingSpanner.uniform-stretching = ##t

\override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t

Code:

%

% Reduction

% Minimum code for dependency on note spacing on length of lyric text / how to center lyric under multiple notes

%

reduction = \relative c' {

  \time 1/4

  \override Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent  = #'(0 . 3)

  \repeat unfold 2 {

    f4 e4 d4 e8( d8) c4 d8( e8) e4 e4

    g4 g16( a16 b16 a16) g8( f8) g8( a8) g4 f8( e8) d8( e8) e4

    f4 e4 d4 e8( d8) c4 \tuplet 3/2 {d8( e8 f8)} d4 d4

    d4 f4 e4 g8( a8) g4 f8( e8) d8( e8) e4

  }

}

reductionLyr = \lyricmode {

  \set stanza = #"1."

  To you be -- fore the close of light,

  Cre -- a -- tor of all things, we pray:

  Be our pro -- tec -- tor, keep us safe

  in your un -- fail -- ing clem -- en -- cy.

  

  \set stanza = " 2."

  Grant us the grace of health and strength,

  re -- new our warmth and joy of life;

  and let your ra -- diant light dis -- pel

  the dread -- ed dark -- ness of the night.

}

\markup {With only override Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent (line uncommented):}

\score {

  \new Staff <<

    \new Voice = "chant" \reduction

    \new Lyrics = "one" \lyricsto "chant" \reductionLyr

  >>

  \layout {

    ragged-last = ##t

    indent = 0\mm

    

    \context {

      \Staff

      \remove "Time_signature_engraver"

%      \override BarLine.X-extent = #'(-1 . 1)

      \hide Stem

      \hide Beam

      \hide BarLine

      \hide TupletNumber

    }

    

    \context {

      \Score

      \remove "Bar_number_engraver"

%      \override SpacingSpanner.base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1/32)

%      \override SpacingSpanner.common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1/32)

%      \override SpacingSpanner.uniform-stretching = ##t

%      \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t

    }

    

    \context {

      \Lyrics

      \override LyricText.self-alignment-X = #CENTER

    }

  }

}

1-With_neither_Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent_nor_BarLine.X-extent.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document

2-With_only_Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document

3-With_both_Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent_and_BarLine.X-extent.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document