\version "2.19.15"

#(define (get-pitch elt)
   (ly:music-property elt 'pitch))

#(define (extract-pitches lst result) 
   (cond
    ((null? lst) result)
    ((ly:pitch? (get-pitch (car lst)))
     (set! result (append result (list (get-pitch (car lst)))))
     (extract-pitches (cdr lst) result))
    ((ly:music-property (car lst) 'elements)
     (append
      (extract-pitches (ly:music-property (car lst) 'elements) result)
      (extract-pitches (cdr lst) '())))
    (else (extract-pitches (cdr lst) result))))

extractPitches =
#(define-scheme-function
  (parser location lst)
  (ly:music?)
  (extract-pitches
   (extract-named-music lst '(EventChord NoteEvent))
   '()) )

#(define (t lst)
   (let loop ((t lst) (result ""))
     (if (null? t)
         result
         (loop (cdr t) 
           (string-append
            result
            "\""
            (if (symbol? (car t)) ;; this mess is just for testing
                (symbol->string (car t))
                (number->string (ly:pitch-notename (car t))))
            "\""
            " ")))))

noteNameToLyric =
#(define-void-function (parser location lst) (list?)
   (let* ((str (t lst))
          (str (string-append "{ " str "}")))
     (display str) (newline)
     (ly:parser-include-string
      parser
      (string-append "\\new Lyrics \\lyricmode " str))))

music  = \relative c' { c4 d e f g a b c }

%% This works
<<
  \new Staff \music
  \noteNameToLyric #'(c d e f g a b c)
>>

%% Tis doesn't
<<
  \new Staff \music
  \noteNameToLyric \extractPitches \music
>>