Lyric extender alignment issues--a work around

[Scott Ainsworth]

Like several others on this list, I have been battling with font
alignment issues.  In particular, with 'automaticMelismata = ##t' (the
default), some things do not behave as expected:

    1. A sylable on a tie or slur is not lined up with the first note.
    2. Lyric extenders are too short.

Turning automatic melismata off creates its own problems:

    1. Lyric extenders extend across rests.
    2. Lyric extenders can only include one additional note.

Here is the work around I developed for these issues.

1. Turn automatic melismata off:

    paper {
        translator {
            automaticMelismata = ##f
        }
    }

2. Use \addlyrics in the Staff context.

3. Create lyrics extenders using an empty lyric: 'You are, __ ""'

4. When a lyric extender or hyphen must include two or more notes, use
\skip to skip the middle notes of the group.  (It appears the skip
length should be the length of the shortest note you skip.)

Here is an example:

% Sample work around for lyrics alignment and extender problems in
% Lilypond v1.6.4.
%
% From the song "I Want to Be Where You Are" by Don Moen
% Copyright 1998 Integrity's Hosanna! Music

\include "english.ly"
\score {
    \context Staff = melody <
        \property Score.automaticMelismata = ##f
        \clef treble
        \addlyrics
        \context Voice = "mel" {
            \notes \relative g' {
                \key g \major
                \time 4/4
                \stemUp
                r4 e16 g8 a16 ~ a g8 fs16 ~ fs8 e8 |
                e8.()d16 d4~ d8 r8 r4 |
                r4 g16 bf8 c16 ~ c bf8 a16 ( ~ a ) g fs g ~ |
                g8. ~ g16 ~ g4 ~ g4 s4 \bar "|."
            }
        }
        \lyrics \context Lyrics {
            \context LyricsVoice = "mel-1" {
                \property Current . LyricExtender \set
#'right-trim-amount = #0
                dwell -- ing dai \skip 16 -- ly in __ ""
                    Your pres \skip 16 -- ence; __ ""
                I just want __ "" to be \skip 16 __ ""
                    with You. \skip 16 \skip 16 \skip 16 __ ""
            }
        }
    >
    \paper {
        papersize = "letter"
        indent = 0
    }
}