On the other hand, one thing that does work well is to work out the chords to the music and play the melody in the discant and a normal accompaniment with chords and single notes in the bass.

Here are a couple of lead sheets I've made for songs in the public domain which may be in a similar vein to what you have in mind (I don't know because you didn't say):

https://github.com/lfinston/Songlist/blob/main/lead_sheets/barkrole.pdf
https://github.com/lfinston/Songlist/blob/main/lead_sheets/lacidarm.pdf
https://github.com/lfinston/Songlist/blob/main/lead_sheets/polowtnz.pdf

There are more in the same place.