For choral and vocal programs that would like to include texts & translations in your programs, the school does not provide either texts or translations for your program. You may provide them yourself if you’d like them included, but you must follow these guidelines to ensure they get included.
Most of these guidelines pertain to receiving permission from authors or copyright holders. Despite longstanding traditions of ignoring copyrights, translations of musical works are granted separate copyright permissions in the United States. These copyrights are separate from the copyright of the musical work itself, and are not covered by our performance licenses, so we must adhere to copyright law when publishing translations.
Guidelines
Deadlines
If you wish to include texts or translations, they must be included in your initial submission, and must be received no later than 30 days before your performance. They can not be added during the revisioning period, and will not be included if your program submission is late.
Texts
Texts are typically under copyright or license with the music publisher, and as such may be included for all works as part of our standard performance license. When including texts you must include an attribution that includes copyright information in addition to authorship:
e.g. Text, unknown author, public domain
e.g. Text by Taylor Swift, © 2023 by Universal Music Publishing Group. Used by permission
Translations
Translations have their own copyrights, separate from the musical work and its texts. In order to include translations you must:
- provide written documentation to the programs office that you have permission to include them in your program:
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- Translations may be in the public domain. Please provide written evidence for any such translation.
- You may include original translations by you or a collaborator, with a written statement that you give the Butler School permission to use them.
- Written evidence that the translation is covered by a creative commons or similar license that grants permission to be published in a concert program.
- Written permission from the original copyright holder (often but not always the translator) that the Butler School has been granted permission to publish the translations in your program.Written permission can be in the form of an official license, a letter, or email from the copyright holder. Verbal permission, or permission via messaging apps or texts are not sufficient.
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- You must provide a proper attribution:
- e.g. Translations by Guy Smiley, ©1993 G. Schirmer. Used by permission.
Format
Please submit translations in-line alternating original text with translated text, do not submit them in a tabbed or column/side-by-side format.
e.g. submit this:
Kyrie eleison.
Lord, have mercy.
Christe eleison.
Christ, have mercy.
Kyrie eleison.
Lord, have mercy.
Not:
Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy.
Christe eleison. Christ, have mercy.
Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy.
(The latter formatting does not work on mobile devices).
