I’m engraving a large opera, I’ve done all the note entry from the handwritten original. Time has passed and it’s coming along but I’ve just run into a problem with a vocal section. Frankly I should have anticipated this, now I’m in a bind.
There’s an indeterminate group of male singers who will just go under one name in the score, an onstage acting “chorus” if you will, appearing only from time to time. When I typed in the music, I entered them on individual staves per any unique notes and lyrics, just figuring I would condense in the end. I ended up with four staves of this male chorus, usually only one or two staves need to be shown (most of it is unison or two-part writing).
Of course I’ve since learned what most of you know—and I should have researched—that condensing doesn’t really work well on vocal staves. I’ve tried it and I get haphazard results.
I’ve been touring the forum and help files. One solution I thought would work for me (Condensing lyrics with SA,TB in score - #6 by Dilorenzo) was to create a new Section Player as “choir (reduction)” which is two-stave, then copy two voices to top and/or two to bottom when such is needed, or whatever’s necessary, and in this score I can just allow individual staves of multi-staff instruments to be hidden (Layout Options, Staff Visibility).
I set this up and it was working well… BUT I’d forgotten about two spots in one act where this onstage chorus breaks up into four distinct sung parts. Unfortunately they just won’t mix as up/down-stem voices put two to a staff, there are crossings and simultaneities and even some lyric differences, it won’t work, I need four staves here. I had hoped I could add two staves, but you cannot add staves above or below a section player. Also tried “Edit Instrument Definition” under Setup left panel but discovered there’s a limit of 3 staves for an instrument (wishing it were 4!).
I realize of course that I can fake something but I’ve committed so many misjudgments that I don’t trust myself to think of the best solution. Does anyone have a suggestion, either a true solution or the BEST fake possible? Ideally it would appear in the score as one staff or two most times, with two voices when needed on one or two staves, also allow four staves in the few spots I need it, always with the same single staff label and bracketed together.
(NOTE: I don’t care about playback whatsoever, it’s turned off, the solution need not account for playback. And please don’t ask me to attach the file, it is massive.)
Hoping someone can help, thank you all!