Choir MembersBrief History
History
Reflections Concert Choir, formerly Reflections Home School Choir, began in June of 1997 under the direction of Mr. Craig Armstrong with only 11 home-schooled teens from the Fort Worth, Arlington, and Mansfield areas.
In April of 2002, Reflections had worked up their repertoire enough to go on a 10-day tour to Colorado where they recorded their first CD, “Press On”, as well as sing at Fort Carson and multiple churches and events along the way.
In the Fall of 2003, Reflections took another ten day tour to Branson, MO and the surrounding area. The choir performed at numerous venues and events in Branson including the Traveling Vietnam Wall Memorial Service, the MIA/POW Network Banquet, The Haygood Family Show, and The Showboat Branson Belle, as well as other churches and shows in the Missouri/Arkansas region.
In the Summer of 2004, The Reflections Concert Choir had the unique opportunity to sing at the Texas State Republican Convention in San Antonio. Reflections had also performed at the Convention in the year 2000. During this trip, the choir also performed their patriotic program for a gathering of Texas delegates and elected officials at the Faith and Freedom Banquet.
Spring of 2005 saw the choir on another tour – this time in the Washington DC/New York Area. During their time up there, Reflections toured “ground zero” – the former site of the World Trade Center towers, the Statue of Liberty, the White House, West Point Military Academy, and other sights in the region. Concerts included singing on the Kevin McCullough Radio Show in New York City, The Old Post Office in Washington DC, and other events and churches both on the way there and on the way back.
Reflections toured to Chicago in 2006. During which they performed at the Great Lakes Naval Base and the Institute in Basic Life Principles Headquarters. The Choir also had opportunities to sing at multiple churches, retirement homes and events in the area as well as tour the Sears Tower, The St. Louis Arch, Downtown Chicago/Millennium Park, The Museum of Science and Industry, Navy Pier and go to a Chicago Cubs’ baseball game.
In the spring of 2007, Reflections took their “Song of the South” tour which included time in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida. This tour was mainly a sight-seeing/history tour with very few concerts. The concerts that were scheduled were at churches and retirement homes across the southern states. One concert that should be highlighted however was the opportunity that Reflections had to perform at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, FL. Sight-seeing included Vicksburg National Cemetery, Stone Mountain, Downtown Atlanta, The World of Coca-Cola Museum, The National Naval Aviation Museum, and the USS Alabama Battleship.
In 2008, The choir returned to Washington DC for the Spring tour. This time we were able to tour Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown in Virginia as well as Gettysburg and Amish country in Pennsylvania. We sang at all those locations while touring, and in DC this time we sang at the Navy Memorial, Boling Air Force Base, the Old Post Office and First Baptist Church. On the way home we toured the Biltmore Estate in N. Carolina, Ruby Falls and Rock City in Chattanooga where we also sang. A highlight of our Spring season at home was the recording of our 6th CD, Well Done My Faithful Servant. We also continued our yearly concerts with the Irving Symphonic Band and at the D/FW National Cemetery Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day Programs.
In 2009, the choir returned to Colorado on tour, the location of the first tour in 2002. However this time we traveled through New Mexico first. We toured Carlsbad Caverns and the Museum of Western History in Ruidoso while singing at the Cowboy Church there and Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. In Colorado Springs we sang at the Air Force Academy Chapel, Shepherd of the Hills Church in Canon City, Royal Gorge, Fort Carson and Circle Drive Baptist Church. We also rode the Cog railway up Pikes Peak but there was so much snow we couldn’t get to the top. Everyone’s favorite activity was hiking time in the Garden of the Gods. We continued our concert season back home singing at local churches, the Arlington Home School Book Fair, D/FW National Cemetery and the dedication of the new Vietnam Memorial in Kaufman, TX. By the end of the 2009 season the choir had performed over 300 concerts since it began in 1997.
