Re: Melisma with manual syllable durations

[David Wright]

On Sun 19 Feb 2017 at 14:49:57 (+0000), David Sumbler wrote:
> In 2 of the set of 6 songs I have (rather slowly) been setting, I want
> 2 sets of words: the original, and an English version.  In each of the
> other 4 songs there is just one set of words.
> 
> After much experimentation and a lot of failures, I found a way of
> doing what I wanted, which is to use manual durations.  This may very
> well not be the best nor the simplest way of doing it, but it is the
> only way I found that works.
> 
> The only trouble is, I cannot work out how to produce a melisma mark
> when using manual durations.  The following snippet illustrates the
> problem:
> 
> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
> \version "2.19.48"
> 
> \paper { ragged-right = ##f }
> 
> voice = { \time 3/4 \partial 8
>         e'8 | e' d' d'4( ~ d'16 c') b8 | c'4 c'4. r8 \bar "|."
>       }
> 
> words = \lyricmode { Ac er -- aill yn __ ei fe -- di. }
> 
> trans = \lyricmode { An8 -- oth -- er reaps4. __ the8 har4 -- vest.4. }
> 
> <<
>   \new Staff { \voice }
>   \addlyrics { \words }
>   \new Lyrics { \override LyricText.font-shape = #'italic
>               \trans }
> >>
> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
> 
> The melisma appears as required in the upper set of words, but not in
> the lower.  I have tried various ways to get what I want, but so far
> without any success.
> 
> Can it be done?

I would have thought the most obvious way is

  \addlyrics { \words }
  \addlyrics { \override LyricText.font-shape = #'italic \trans }

BTW I still wish that LilyPond could parse characters like
NO-BREAK SPACE correctly so that I could compile the example
without having to edit it as well as cut and paste it out of
the post.

Cheers,
David.