Painted Sky by David Nelson © 2026 Tapspace Publications, LLC (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
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TSPCE26-001
Painted Sky is a musical reflection on the quiet moments of beauty that bookend a day often filled with chaos. The inspiration for this piece came during an early morning drive to work, just before sunrise. As the first rays of sunlight appeared over the horizon, a soft shimmer spread across the sky—a brief but striking moment of tranquility in the stilldark morning. I pulled over to savor the scene, preparing myself for the challenges ahead.
Later, amidst the complexity and noise of the day, I found a moment to pause and remember that calm painted sky from the morning. It reminded me that even in the midst of chaos, there are moments of stillness to be found. As the day came to an end, I watched the sky transition into night, with stars shimmering above the landscape, bringing the day full circle.
Painted Sky is a meditation on these fleeting, beautiful moments that offer a sense of peace, even when surrounded by the turbulence of daily life.
—David Nelson
Painted Sky requires 11 players with the following instrumentation:
1. Chimes
2. Glockenspiel + xylophone
3. Vibraphone 1
4. Vibraphone 2
5. Marimba 1 (low A)
6. Marimba 2 (low F)
7. 5 Timpani (32”, 29”, 26”, 23”, 20”)
8. Piano
9. Percussion 1 — crotales (2 octaves), hi-hat, mark tree (shared w/ P2), 3 triangles (different sizes/pitches), suspended cymbal (shared w/ P2)
10. Percussion 2 — mark tree, suspended cymbal, concert snare drum, ride cymbal, sizzle cymbal
11. Percussion 3 — mark tree (or metallic wind chimes), suspended cymbal, finger cymbal (1), triangle, temple blocks (5), China cymbal, concert bass drum, hand cymbals
C h m e s
G o c k e n s p e l + x y o p h o n e
V i b r a p h o n e 1
V i b r a p h o n e 2 M a r i m b a 1 o w A
M a r i m b a 2 o w F 5 Ti m p a n i
P i a n o P e r c u s s o n 1
c r o t a e s 2 o c t a v e s ) h - h a t m a k t r e e ( s h a r e d w / P 2 )
3 t a n g e s ( d f e r e n t s z e s /p t c h e s ) s u s p e n d e d c y m b a ( s h a r e d w / P 2 )
P e r c u s s o n 2 m a k t r e e s u s p e n d e d c y m b a c o n c e t s n a r e d r u m r d e c y m b a , s z z e c y m b a
P e r c u s s i o n 3 m a r k t e e ( o m e t a c w n
t a n g e t e m p e b o c k s ( 5 )
C h n a c y m b a c o
° ¢ ° ¢ { ° ¢ ° ¢
