+Durations do not need to be added if the variable is to be invoked
+with @code{\addlyrics} or @code{\lyricsto}.
+
+For different or more complex orderings, the best way is to define
+the music and lyric variables first, then set up the hierarchy of
+staves and lyrics, omitting the lyrics themselves, and then add the
+lyrics using @code{\context} underneath. This ensures that the
+voices referenced by @code{\lyricsto} have always been defined
+earlier. For example:
+
+@lilypond[quote,verbatim]
+sopranoMusic = \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
+contraltoMusic = \relative c'' { a4 a a a }
+sopranoWords = \lyricmode { Sop -- ra -- no words }
+contraltoWords = \lyricmode { Con -- tral -- to words }
+
+\score {
+ \new ChoirStaff <<
+ \new Staff {
+ \new Voice = "sopranos" {
+ \sopranoMusic
+ }
+ }
+ \new Lyrics = "sopranos"
+ \new Lyrics = "contraltos"
+ \new Staff {
+ \new Voice = "contraltos" {
+ \contraltoMusic
+ }
+ }
+ \context Lyrics = "sopranos" {
+ \lyricsto "sopranos" {
+ \sopranoWords
+ }
+ }
+ \context Lyrics = "contraltos" {
+ \lyricsto "contraltos" {
+ \contraltoWords
+ }
+ }
+ >>
+}
+@end lilypond
+
+@seealso
+Notation Reference:
+@ref{Placing lyrics vertically}.
+
+Internals Reference:
+@rinternals{LyricCombineMusic},
+@rinternals{Lyrics}.
+
+
+@node Placing lyrics vertically
+@unnumberedsubsubsec Placing lyrics vertically
+
+@cindex placement of lyrics
+@cindex lyrics, positioning
+
+Depending on the type of music, lyrics may be positioned
+above the staff, below the staff, or between staves. Placing
+lyrics below the associated staff is the easiest, and can be
+achieved by simply defining the Lyrics context below the Staff
+context:
+
+@lilypond[quote,verbatim]
+\score {
+ <<
+ \new Staff {
+ \new Voice = "melody" {
+ \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
+ }
+ }
+ \new Lyrics {
+ \lyricsto "melody" {
+ Here are the words
+ }
+ }
+ >>
+}
+@end lilypond
+
+Lyrics may be positioned above the staff using one of
+two methods. The simplest (and preferred) method
+is to use the same syntax as above and explicitly
+specify the position of the lyrics:
+
+@lilypond[quote,verbatim]
+\score {
+ <<
+ \new Staff = "staff" {
+ \new Voice = "melody" {
+ \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
+ }
+ }
+ \new Lyrics \with { alignAboveContext = "staff" } {
+ \lyricsto "melody" {
+ Here are the words
+ }
+ }
+ >>
+}
+@end lilypond
+
+Alternatively, a two-step process may be used. First the Lyrics
+context is declared (without any content) before the Staff and
+Voice contexts, then the @code{\lyricsto} command is placed after
+the Voice declaration it references by using @code{\context}, as
+follows:
+
+@lilypond[quote,verbatim]
+\score {
+ <<
+ \new Lyrics = "lyrics" \with {
+ % lyrics above a staff should have this override
+ \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN
+ }
+ \new Staff {
+ \new Voice = "melody" {
+ \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
+ }
+ }
+ \context Lyrics = "lyrics" {
+ \lyricsto "melody" {
+ Here are the words
+ }
+ }
+ >>
+}
+@end lilypond
+
+When there are two voices on separate staves the lyrics may be
+placed between the staves using either of these methods. Here
+is an example of the second method:
+
+@lilypond[quote,verbatim]
+\score {
+ \new ChoirStaff <<
+ \new Staff {
+ \new Voice = "sopranos" {
+ \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
+ }
+ }
+ \new Lyrics = "sopranos"
+ \new Lyrics = "contraltos" \with {
+ % lyrics above a staff should have this override
+ \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN
+ }
+ \new Staff {
+ \new Voice = "contraltos" {
+ \relative c'' { a4 a a a }
+ }
+ }
+ \context Lyrics = "sopranos" {
+ \lyricsto "sopranos" {
+ Sop -- ra -- no words
+ }
+ }
+ \context Lyrics = "contraltos" {
+ \lyricsto "contraltos" {
+ Con -- tral -- to words
+ }
+ }
+ >>
+}
+@end lilypond
+
+Other combinations of lyrics and staves may be generated by
+elaborating these examples, or by examining the
+@rlearning{Vocal ensembles} templates in the Learning Manual.
+
+@snippets
+@lilypondfile[verbatim,quote,texidoc,doctitle]
+{obtaining-2.12-lyrics-spacing-in-newer-versions.ly}
+
+@seealso
+Learning Manual:
+@rlearning{Vocal ensembles}.
+
+Notation Reference:
+@ref{Context layout order},
+@ref{Creating contexts}.
+
+
+@node Placing syllables horizontally
+@unnumberedsubsubsec Placing syllables horizontally
+
+@cindex Spacing lyrics
+@cindex Lyrics, increasing space between
+
+To increase the spacing between lyrics, set the
+@code{minimum-distance} property of @code{LyricSpace}.
+
+@lilypond[relative=1,verbatim,quote,ragged-right]
+{
+ c c c c
+ \override Lyrics.LyricSpace #'minimum-distance = #1.0
+ c c c c
+}
+\addlyrics {
+ longtext longtext longtext longtext
+ longtext longtext longtext longtext
+}
+@end lilypond