Watch this “scrolling score” video to see the sheet music while an audio demo plays. An mp3 audio file is included with the sheet music download.

Here, In Time – Free Piano Quartet Sheet Music Download

Nathan A. Smith, Composer

Piano Quartet: Piano, Violin, Viola (or Violin), and Cello

“Here, In Time” is a tender, deeply moving work for piano and strings that serves as both a lullaby and a tribute to the innocence of childhood. This expressive composition is available entirely for free for non-profit use.

Composed by Nathan A. Smith of Portland, Oregon, the piece is dedicated to his son Zachary and to anyone who dares to love and dance with the joyful freedom of a child.

The song began as a simple piano tune that his five-year-old son came to love, often dancing alone in the living room while cradling his favorite stuffed animal, Skittles. Years later, after his son had grown and moved out, finding that same stuffed animal inspired the composer to add lyrics conveying the unending bond between parent and child: “I am always yours and you are mine.”

The piece offers a lush, emotional narrative where the piano and strings trade delicate melodies, building from a quiet, reflective opening into a triumphant, full-hearted climax. It is a perfect selection for recitals, spring concerts, or programs themed around family, childhood, nostalgia, and love. The piece makes a nice alternative to Pachelbel’s Canon in D for wedding processionals.

An SATB choir vocal arrangement is in progress with the full lyrics:

Here, in time,
I am always yours
and you are mine.

And when time is done,
you’ll still be mine.
Held here in time.

Technical Details & Pedagogy

• Performance Duration: 4 minutes
• Difficulty Level:
  • Piano Part: Grade 3.5 (Medium-Advanced) — Driven by continuous, arpeggiated motion, sweeping dynamic surges, and quick octave transitions at the climax.
  • String Parts (Violin, Viola, Cello): Grade 2.5 (Easy-Medium) — Written in comfortable, accessible registers with straightforward rhythm, allowing players to focus entirely on tone, intonation, and bow control.
• Pedagogical Focus:
  • Dynamic Shaping: Executing a smooth, controlled crescendo across the 24 measures of Section D without peaking early.
  • Chamber Balance: Calibrating bow weight so featured solo lines carry cleanly over active accompaniment figures.
  • Tone Quality at High Dynamics: Maintaining a broad, rich tone during the forte/fortissimo climax at Section E.
• Instrumental Ranges
  • Violin: D4 to A5
  • Viola: G3 to D5
  • Cello: D2 to D4