Importing Lyrics from a Text File

Typing in lyrics by hand can be quite a laborious task—especially if you have to work out where to syllabify words. Sibelius can import
a text file containing the lyrics to your song and automatically syllabify them for you. A text file containing the words to Scarborough
Fair is included in the Project Files folder of example scores.

To import lyrics from a text file:

1 Triple-click the vocal staff to make a passage selection around the entire staff.
2 Choose Text > Lyrics > From Text File.
3 Click Browse to see a standard Open dialog. On Windows, you should find that you are inside a folder called Scores, which will con-
tain a shortcut to a folder called Sibelius Example Scores. Double-click this, then go into the Project Files folder, select the text file
called Project 1 Lyrics.
4 Click Open.
5 Click OK to import the lyrics (they will automatically overwrite the first line of lyrics you just typed in).

You can also copy lyrics from other programs (such as word processors), create multiple verses of lyrics, and control every aspect of
their appearance and formatting.

For more information, see  5.7 Lyrics in the Reference Guide.

Dynamics
The term dynamics is used to mean both text instructions like mp and hairpins (wedge-shaped cresc./dim. lines), which Sibelius will re-
spect when playing back your score – just as you’d expect a performer to do. Text dynamics are written in a text style called Expression.

Sibelius’s text styles are listed in categories in the Text  Styles  Style gallery. This gallery is embedded directly in the ribbon, allowing
you to see the first few items in the gallery without opening it. In-ribbon galleries like this allow you to scroll up and down the list using
the scroll arrow buttons at the right-hand end, or to open the gallery, making it appear like a drop-down menu.

To create a text dynamic at the start of the piece:

1 Select the first note of the clarinet staff.
2 Open the Text > Styles > Style gallery.
3 Choose Expression from the Common category. The first category, Used, shows text styles that are already in use in the current
score. The next and most important category is Common, which contains a preset selection of the text styles you will need to use most
often. A flashing caret appears below the first note.

Press Command+E (Mac) or Control+E (Windows) to add Expression text.

4 Press Command+F (Mac) or Control+F (Windows)—holding down Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) tells Sibelius to write
the letters using the special bold characters which should be used for dynamics—you can also right-click to see a menu of useful
words. This menu is, appropriately enough, called a word menu.
5 Press Esc to stop creating text.

You should now see:


    
f

Now add the rest of the missing text dynamics to the vocal, clarinet and acoustic guitar staves in the score, referring to the printout of
Scarborough Fair that you made at the start of this project. You can write all the dynamics in this arrangement either by holding down
Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) as you type them to tell Sibelius to use the special bold characters, or by using the word menu.

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Text and Dynamics