ORNAMENTS AND DETAILS
Scripture References: Psalm 147:4, Matthew 10:29-31
Matthew 10:29-31 "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."
One of the characteristic traits developed through the study of music is attention to detail. Some people struggle in this area, myself included. Often, I overlook the small things, tending to focus only on the bigger picture. Psychologists even categorize students into those who are detail-oriented versus those who prefer to look at the global scale. As musicians and teachers, our goal is to encourage both perspectives in our students and in our personal practice.
Evidence of this attention to detail is found in the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin. An ornament is a stylistic feature that, while structurally non-essential, adds color and character, improving the overall direction of a phrase. Teachers usually ask students to play a piece without trills, mordents, or tremolos at first, adding them only after the main beats have been mastered.
Imagine JS Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor without those opening trills, or Chopin's Nocturnes such as Nocturne Op. 20 in C-sharp Minor without his iconic ornamental flourishes. The music would lose its soul.
God is a God of detail. The song "The Love of God" famously asks: "What made God take so much care to make creation glow? He could have made it black and white, and we'd have never known." This thought often fascinates me. During my morning walk today, I noticed the varied patterns in nature: leaves with dull or sharp edges, some with a fuzzy texture and others that are coarse.
Just as the ornaments of Bach differ from those of Mozart, God is a God of variety. He could have made all leaves with a single texture, and we would have never known. He could have allowed the leaves to stay green during the fall, never changing their color, and we would have never known.
To a listener who has never heard a Mozart sonata, a missing ornament might go unnoticed. But to those who have studied the score, the omission is instant; I would surely receive a few raised eyebrows! Did I mention that musicians are fans of detail? To an experienced musician, even a single trill bears weight. It must never be rushed; it must remain musical, respect the rhythmic structure, and have a clear beginning and end.
Similarly, as we seek God’s Word each day, we begin to notice the beauty of His character shown in His works. We begin to appreciate how He cares about the little details in our lives, even the "very hairs of [our] head are all numbered." Matt. 10:30. We begin to trust Him, for He knows even our name.