View source for Grouping instrument names with square brackets

If you want to label a group of instruments (staves, voices), you can draw lines to create your own shapes that mimic the appearance of the square brackets used by the <code>SystemStartSquare</code> system start delimiter (see [https://lilypond.org/doc/v2.24/Documentation/notation/displaying-staves#grouping-staves “Grouping staves” in the Notation Reference]). Adjust the numerical values in the <code>\score</code> block below as needed for your score.

<lilypond version="2.24">
%%% Approach suggested by Kieren MacMillan in
%% https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2026-01/msg00293.html
choirI = \new Staff \with {
  instrumentName = "Choir I"
} { \repeat unfold 48 c'' }

sopII = \new Staff \with {
  instrumentName = "Soprano II"
} { \repeat unfold 48 g' }

altoII = \new Staff \with {
  instrumentName = "Alto II"
} { \repeat unfold 48 e' }

tenorII = \new Staff \with {
  instrumentName = "Tenor II"
} { \clef "treble_8" \repeat unfold 48 c' }

bassII = \new Staff \with {
  instrumentName = "Bass II"
} { \clef bass \repeat unfold 48 c }

\layout {
  indent = 30
}

\score {
  <<
    \new StaffGroup \with {
      \override InstrumentName.padding = #-2
      instrumentName = \markup {
        \hspace #-12.6
        \rotate #90 \override #'(baseline-skip . 1) \center-column {
          \bold Decani
          \concat { \draw-line #'(0 . -1) \draw-line #'(4 . 0) \draw-line #'(0 . -1) }
        }
      }
    } \choirI
    \new StaffGroup \with {
      \override InstrumentName.padding = #-2
      instrumentName = \markup \translate #'(-9.5 . 0) {
        \hspace #-14
        \rotate #90 \override #'(baseline-skip . 1) \center-column {
          \bold Cantoris
          \concat { \draw-line #'(0 . -1) \draw-line #'(29.5 . 0) \draw-line #'(0 . -1) }
        }
      }
    }
    <<
      \sopII
      \altoII
      \tenorII
      \bassII
    >>
  >>
}
</lilypond>

[[Category:Staff notation]]
[[Category:Text]]
[[Category:Vocal music]]
[[Category:Snippet]]