Most efficient way to use repeats for psalms

• Mar 13, 2021 - 11:36

I'm inputting a psalm and I'm trying to think of the best way to use repeats/voltas etc. to achieve the desired order fore playback. For those unfamiliar, psalms are generally made up of 4 musical sections. Generally they are sung as such:

Verse 1 - Section 1&2
Verse 2 - Section 3&4
Verse 3 - Section 1&2
Verse 4 - Section 3&4
etc.

However, like in the psalm I'm currently inputting, sometimes when the setter wants to delineate a section of the text, an odd numbered verse may use use section 3&4. The order looks like this:

Verse 1 - Section 1&2
Verse 2 - Section 3&4
Verse 3 - Section 3&4
Verse 4 - Section 1&2
Verse 5 - Section 3&4
Verse 6 - Section 1&2
etc.

What would be the most efficient way to get this order reflected in playback?

Picture for reference

Attachment Size
Scan from 2021-03-13 07_35_43 PM.pdf 430.29 KB

Comments

You can use Volta 1 for all the "normal" cases where two verses take up the entire psalm tune, and Volta 2 for verses which use only the "2nd part" of the psalm:

Psalm 107 voltas.png

So in this example, the only verse which uses "2nd part only" is verse 3 which is the second repeat.
Repeat 1 = verses 1-2
Repeat 2 = verse 3 (2nd part only)
Repeat 3 = verses 4-5
Repeat 4 = verses 6-7
Repeat 5 = verses 8-9
Repeat 6 = verses 10-11
[Repeat 7 = Gloria, if required]

[EDIT] I think it might be more correct to use a DC (possibly hidden) instead of the repeat barline at the end of Volta 2 (the "2nd part only"), as shown on the attached score. Perhaps someone else can advise?

Attachment Size
Psalm_107.mscz 8.6 KB

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