Songs package in Multicol environment

Question

I'm attempting to typeset a Wedding Program, which includes songs and I'd love to have this displayed as two columns as I think it looks nicer. However, I'm having a heck of a time getting the songs package to play nicely with multicol, and wondered if anyone had any ideas regarding what I could fix to get it to behave.

From the songs documentation:

http://songs.sourceforge.net/songsdoc/songs.html#sec11.5

Setting the number of columns to zero disables the page-building algorithm entirely. This can be useful if you want to use an external package, such as multicol or LaTeX's built-in \twocolumn macro, to build pages. For example, the following sets up an environment that is suitable for a lyric book that uses \twocolumn:

However, what I'm seeing happen is the song is laid out on the first page, and the second column is completely blank--all text is shifted onto a new page.

Here's my MWE:

\documentclass[12pt,letterpaper]{article}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{multicol}
\usepackage[lyric]{songs}
% define new fonts
\newcommand{\fancy}{\calligra\small}
\newcommand{\block}{\sc\scriptsize}
\pagestyle{empty}

\songcolumns{0}

\begin{document}
%TODO: Update margins so this fits in one column
\begin{multicols}{2}
\begin{songs}{}
    \beginsong{How Can I Keep from Singing?}[]
    \beginverse
    My life goes on in endless song\\
    Above earth's lamentations,\\
    I hear the real, though far-off hymn\\
    That hails a new creation.
    \endverse

    \beginverse
    Through all the tumult and the strife\\
    I hear its music ringing,\\
    It sounds an echo in my soul.\\
    How can I keep from singing?
    \endverse

    \beginverse
    While though the tempest loudly roars,\\
    I hear the truth, it liveth.\\
    And though the darkness 'round me close,\\
    Songs in the night it giveth.
    \endverse

    \beginverse
    No storm can shake my inmost calm,\\
    While to that rock I'm clinging.\\
    Since love is lord of heaven and earth\\
    How can I keep from singing?
    \endverse

    \beginverse
    When tyrants tremble in their fear\\
    And hear their death knell ringing,\\
    When friends rejoice both far and near\\
    How can I keep from singing?
    \endverse

    \beginverse
    In prison cell and dungeon vile\\
    Our thoughts to them are winging,\\
    When friends by shame are undefiled
    How can I keep from singing?
    \endverse
    \endsong
\end{songs}
\subsection*{The Bride's Parents}
\lipsum
\end{multicols}
\end{document}

Answer 1

The environment does \clearpage at the end, you can locally disable that (I make it \bigskip here.

\documentclass[12pt,letterpaper]{article}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{multicol}
\usepackage[lyric]{songs}
% define new fonts
\newcommand{\fancy}{\calligra\small}
\newcommand{\block}{\sc\scriptsize}
\pagestyle{empty}

\songcolumns{0}

\begin{document}
%TODO: Update margins so this fits in one column
\begin{multicols}{2}
\begin{songs}{}
    \beginsong{How Can I Keep from Singing?}[]
    \beginverse
    My life goes on in endless song\\
    Above earth's lamentations,\\
    I hear the real, though far-off hymn\\
    That hails a new creation.
    \endverse

    \beginverse
    Through all the tumult and the strife\\
    I hear its music ringing,\\
    It sounds an echo in my soul.\\
    How can I keep from singing?
    \endverse

    \beginverse
    While though the tempest loudly roars,\\
    I hear the truth, it liveth.\\
    And though the darkness 'round me close,\\
    Songs in the night it giveth.
    \endverse

    \beginverse
    No storm can shake my inmost calm,\\
    While to that rock I'm clinging.\\
    Since love is lord of heaven and earth\\
    How can I keep from singing?
    \endverse

    \beginverse
    When tyrants tremble in their fear\\
    And hear their death knell ringing,\\
    When friends rejoice both far and near\\
    How can I keep from singing?
    \endverse

    \beginverse
    In prison cell and dungeon vile\\
    Our thoughts to them are winging,\\
    When friends by shame are undefiled
    How can I keep from singing?
    \endverse
    \endsong
\let\clearpage\bigskip
\end{songs}
\subsection*{The Bride's Parents}
\lipsum
\end{multicols}
\end{document}