Re: I want to print bar numbers every 5 measures

[Kieren MacMillan]

Hi, Kim:

> I must be missing something obvious.

Yep!  ;-)

> I have read the manual and looked at the example in
> bar-number-every-five-reset.ly

But your code doesn't include the parts of that example which are  
necessary to affect change you want!!??

e.g., the \context Score \applyContext... stuff in this edited version:

%%%  CODE BEGINS
\version "2.9.14"

\header{
    title = "6 part consort music"
}

\paper {
    #(set-paper-size "letter")
}

twentyBars =
{
	\override Score.BarNumber #'break-visibility = #end-of-line- 
invisible  %% turn off auto-numbering
	\context Score \applyContext #(set-bar-number-visibility 4)  %%   
first num @ 5
        \repeat "unfold" 4 { c4 c c c }
	\context Score \applyContext #(set-bar-number-visibility 5)  %%  num  
@ every 5
        \repeat "unfold" 16 { c4 c c c }
}

\score
{
    \new ChoirStaff \relative
        <<
                \new Staff { \twentyBars }
             \new Staff { \twentyBars }
             \new Staff { \twentyBars }
             \new Staff { \twentyBars }
             \new Staff { \twentyBars }
             \new Staff { \twentyBars }
        >>

    \layout {
        \context {
            \Score
            \override BarNumber #'padding = #3
            \override RehearsalMark #'padding = #2
            skipBars = ##t
        }
        \context {
            \Staff
            \consists Ambitus_engraver
        }
    }

}
%%%  CODE ENDS

Hope this helps!
Kieren.

p.s. Note that I changed your StaffGroup to a ChoirStaff in my  
version -- that's what I would use, because barlines carry through an  
entire StaffGroup, and sometimes interfere with the lyrics...