Re: "Hymn template" snippet

[Kieren MacMillan]

Hi all,

The big difference, in my mind — as composer, arranger, conductor, and 
performer — is that a caesura is generally longer than a comma/breath, and 
intentionally interrupts the flow of the overall line, whereas the comma/breath 
usually doesn't (or at least doesn't in as dramatic a manner).

In musical theatre scores, the caesura is used almost exclusively when the 
music completely stops and is restarted ‘from silence’ in the next phrase — 
indeed, the caesura is quite often coupled with a fermata — whereas the 
comma/breath is really only used in situations where the singer/performer 
literally needs a little time to phrase off (either for dramatic or 
technical/breathing purposes) but the music [in the accompaniment] basically 
continues unbroken.

Hope that helps add useful context!
Kieren.