Well Done!
Inspirational people
by Laurence Chilcott
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider the great works of literature, music and art that Jesus inspired.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Well Done!) and the means to display them.
- Have available the following YouTube videos and the means to play them during the assembly:
- ‘Mozart - The Marriage of Figaro’, available at: https://youtu.be/8OZCyp-LcGw (4.50 minutes long)
- ‘Zadok the Priest’ by Handel, available at: https://youtu.be/MiXgOQ9_-RI (5.27 minutes long)
Assembly
- Ask the children to think of something that they have done that they feel proud of.
Listen to a range of responses. - Point out that throughout history, people have been remembered for their achievements. The names of people who lived hundreds of years ago are still familiar to us because of the great works that they left behind.
- Ask the children whether they can name any well-known artists.
Listen to a range of responses.
Show Slide 1.
This is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci called the Mona Lisa.
Show Slide 2.
A famous artist called Vincent van Gogh painted this well-known picture called Sunflowers.
Show Slide 3.
The Weeping Woman is a famous painting by the artist Pablo Picasso.
All three of these artists are recognized as great painters of their day. Their original works sell for millions of pounds today.
Sometimes, the work of great artists is only fully appreciated after their death. Van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime, but he became one of the most popular Expressionist painters. Many children will have copied his painting, Sunflowers, in schools all over the country. - Orchestras still play music by composers who lived hundreds of years ago.
One of these is Mozart, who was writing music from the age of five. As he grew older, he wrote many piano concertos and operas, including The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni.
Play an extract from the YouTube video ‘Mozart - The Marriage of Figaro’ (4.50 minutes long).
Another famous composer of classical music is Handel, whose music was sung at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Play an extract from the YouTube video ‘Zadok the Priest’ (5.27 minutes long).
Beethoven composed some of his greatest works when he was almost completely deaf, and Bach’s music was not fully appreciated until some 80 years after his death. - Show Slide 4.
Sir Christopher Wren is famous for his design of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Show Slide 5.
Another architect, Antoni Gaudí, designed the Sagrada Família, a famous cathedral in Barcelona. He worked on it throughout his life, and so complicated and elaborate was his design that the work is still going on over 90 years after his death. It had been hoped that it would be completed in 2026, a hundred years after Gaudí died, but this has now been delayed due to the pandemic. - Show Slide 6.
Classic works by authors such as Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare are still studied by schoolchildren and scholars all over the world. The writers have died, but their work lives on after them. - Explain that Christians believe that Jesus is the most inspirational person of all time.
- He didn’t leave behind any pictures that he’d painted – but artists have painted more pictures and scenes from his life than of any other person.
- He never composed a piece of music – but more music has been inspired by his life than by anyone else.
- He never designed a building – but some of the most beautiful and inspiring buildings in the world have been built to glorify him.
- More words have been written about Jesus and his teachings than about any other person.
Show Slide 7.
Time for reflection
Jesus’ ministry lasted only three years, but over 2,000 years later, he is still remembered. He is remembered not for what he left behind, but for who he was and what he did. Christians believe that he was the son of God and that he came to show God’s love for the world. He died and rose again, giving hope and confidence to all who believe and trust in him.
This is what we celebrate at Easter.
The lives of the greats can be considered in light of their achievements and the legacy that they left for us.
Ask the children to consider what they would like to be remembered for. Maybe, when they move to high school, they could be remembered in their old primary schools for something special that they have done!
Prayer
Dear God,
We thank you for people in the past who have inspired others.
We thank you for people today who inspire us to do our best and use our talents wisely.
We especially thank you for Jesus, who is an example of perfect love and obedience.
May we, day by day, try to follow his example and remember his love for each one of us.
Amen.
Song/music
An excerpt from The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart, available at: https://youtu.be/8OZCyp-LcGw (4.50 minutes long)
Zadok the Priest by Handel, available at: https://youtu.be/MiXgOQ9_-RI (5.27 minutes long)
