install on shared host without root access?

[Vijith Assar]

I'm trying to install LilyPond on my cheap shared server account so I
can use the MediaWiki extension. I've changed the LilyPond location
called by MediaWiki by using the $wgLilypond variable as described in
the extension's documentation such that LilyPond now resides in my
home directory. This should be fine according to what I've read, but
the host is still telling me I need a more expensive plan which allows
root access in order to get it working.

I get the following error when I try to render LilyPond notation in
MediaWiki (though with any number of different absolute or relative
URLs, since I've tried all the possible permutations):

LilyPond error:
sh: /lilypond/lilypond: No such file or directory

What am I doing wrong? Is my host correct in stating that root access
is required?