Re: The Ernst Family Singers

Dear Gregg,

It is a pleasure to write to you on behalf of the CHArt Society to thank you and your family for your participation in the Maitland Launch Day Festival for 2010, and to recommend your group to any organizers of any similar events.

The Ernst Family Singers are a very professional group and maintained a high standard in the preparation, organization and delivery of their performance at our event, held on August 21, 2010. When requested for a list of their requirements, they not only responded quickly, they also supplied a drawing showing the placement of the singers and their required equipment on stage. This allowed us to obtain the necessary items in good time, and to have the equipment ready to go on stage. They were the only ones at this event to provide such an outline. The Ernst Family arrived in good time for the concert, having travelled about 2 ½ hours to get to Maitland from Lunenburg, self contained in their own bus, suitably dressed for the occasion, and obviously very well rehearsed for the show. Considering the type of event, this professionalism stood out from all other acts that day. That alone would give me good reason to recommend them to others.

However there is much more to this group than preparation and organization, much, much more. Their onstage performance was nothing less than superb. The Ernst Family have an absolutely unique sound, the result of each of them growing up in a musical environment of extremely talented individuals. Their sensitivity to the contributions of the others in the group, the perfect unity of their voices, in timing, intonation, pitch, elevated their music into a region that I have never before experienced. Their song selections were perfectly attuned to the heritage nature of our festival, and, in fact, exemplified it and gave it voice in a way that brought audience members to tears. The shear beauty of the moments that they achieved must be experienced to be fully appreciated.

I have been involved with choral singing for almost 40 years, including several excellent groups in Montreal and Toronto, as well as here in Nova Scotia. I have never derived so much pleasure as I did from listening to the Ernst Family that day. We heard nothing but the most complimentary comments made about their performance from the people in the audience. One person went as far as to say that we should have just booked them and not bothered with the other groups, including the one she was performing with! This comment came from choir director and current accompanist for the Truro Cantabile Singers. Not a lady easily impressed, she was quite literally transported by what she heard. It was a privilege for us to be there that day.

We would like to thank you again for coming and to say that you will always be welcome in Maitland.

Sincerely,

Keith Wallis

For the CHArt Society – Maitland Launch Day Committee

In late November 2009 the Ernst Family Singers blessed us with a concert at our church building in Kentville, Nova Scotia. They performed for a full house, which included our church family as well as a large number of people from the community. The Ernst Family Singers performed for us roughly two years prior to this, so we were thrilled to have them include us as a venue on their Christmas season tour for 2009. I recall the concert of two years ago as an awe inspiring and uplifting occasion. In the two years between these two performances the collective genius of this family has become even more manifest. The impression I’m left with is that this entire family was born singing. In reality this has to be very close to the truth. Even the oldest children in this large family have been performing for at least half their lives. The younger Ernsts truly were born into a world of music and song. This was so gloriously evident in their performance last November. Singing comes as naturally as breathing to this amazing family. Each with a voice crystal clear, true and powerful, seemingly blend their voices effortlessly in perfect complex harmonies that magically create the auditory illusion of a much larger chorus.

I say seemingly without effort because I know they must put an enormous amount of work into each song. A capacity for hard work is as second nature to this family as music is.

The repertoire of this recent Christmas concert ranged from traditional to contemporary to classical to whimsical. The variety and energy of their performance kept the audience spell bound and eager throughout the concert.

I encourage anyone to take advantage of any opportunity to hear the Ernst Family in performance. Or better yet, if you are in a position to host a concert, contact them directly to book a performance in your theatre, church or community facility. I assure you the performance will be of the highest virtuosity and professional standard imaginable. I also encourage you to contact them soon. I anticipate that demand for this remarkable family will steadily increase.

A quote on my email today:

“I was totally immersed in every note, every face, every voice.  I cannot imagine the discipline it has taken to be where they are.  Yarmouth should have turned out en masse for that concert . . . everyone who cares anything about music shouldn’t miss their performance . . . it certainly  will be my favorite event of the season.”

And I agree 100% as always!  You are each so gifted and such a blessing to all who hear you.  The gospel is lived out in your speech, song, and lives.

THANK YOU once again for bringing joy to my heart, and I am sure our Lord’s.  Have a blessed Christmas season.

To all the Ernsts,
Christine with thanks

Dear Pastors and Church leaders:

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is my happy privilege to recommend the ministry of the Ernst Family of Lunenburg to you. I have known the Ernst Family for many years, having been their Pastor for almost 10 years when I lived in Lunenburg. The Lord has gifted this family with the ability to minister in God’s Word through their singing, music, and words of encouragement. Their love for the Lord, each other, and God’s people is evident in their lives and ministry. They have much natural ability which has been sharpened by musical training and many hours of hard work and practice. This is a close knit family with close knit harmonies, a joy to listen to and a joy to observe. God has been blessing people in their home area for the past number of years and He has been opening up doors of opportunity increasingly over the past year or more. I would encourage you to have them come and share their unique gift with your church family. They will be blessed. More than once I have sat back, closed my eyes, shed tears, and experienced “goose bumps” (that’s something for a Baptist preacher!!) as I have been ministered to by their music and more importantly, their ministry.

In Him who gives us a new song!

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I would like to highly recommend the Ernst family singers of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Gregg Ernst, his wife Jennie, and seven of their children are being used in the work of the Lord with their singing, instrumentation and Christian testimonies. I have personally heard them perform and was blessed and impressed.

Gregg also sings with his four sons in a men’s acapella quintet. They sang here at New Brunswick Bible Institute at our Men for God Rally and greatly encouraged men of all ages. Their character, testimonies and spiritual songs were very well accepted.
Regardless of the venue you may be organizing, the Ernst family will definitely be appreciated.

Sincerely in Christ,

R. Barry Beebe
President
New Brunswick Bible Institute

The Ernst Family came to Sheffield Baptist Church on Dec. 12, 2010 to do a concert for our Church Family Christmas Celebration. From beginning to end we enjoyed a wonderful tribute to the true meaning of Christmas. The whole family was such a blessing and so down to earth. God has certainly talented the whole family. As the Pastor of Sheffield Baptist Church I am sure that I speak for the whole congregation by saying you need to have the Ernst Family Singers come and minister at your function.

Pastor Henry Grift
Sheffield Baptist Church
Halifax, NS

It has been our privilege to have the Ernst family in concert during our Peniel Christmas on two separate occasions. Their warm spirits and captivating voices were a delight for those who were celebrating the season with us! The evening was filled with a generous arrangement of songs and vocal talent as well as a message of hope and and a sense of awe at the wonder of Christ’s birth. The positive comments following their performance could be heard all throughout the sanctuary. We were even asked to make sure they were booked again for next year! We would gladly have them back again and we offer to you this recommendation.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

We have been so delighted to have the Ernst Family sing at our church on a
number of occasions. The quality of the singing is truly breathtaking and
the real faith of family members shines through their music. They are a gift
to the ears and to the heart!

Every blessing on your Christmas season!
Mark

Dear Pastors and Church Leaders,

It was our special privilege last October to have the Ernst Family come and visit our church and put on a concert for us. They are quite a group. What a family – 12 of them – and 9 of them sing together.

It was a spiritual uplift for us and an occasion that we wouldn’t hesitate to duplicate again or to recommend to you. If it is at all possible for you to have the Ernst Family come to your church I know you will enjoy them and be blessed by them.

Dear Brethren in Christ,

It is my pleasure to write this letter to you on behalf of the Ernst Family singers.

When I first received a letter from this family telling me that they wanted to come into Ontario to sing in some of the churches, my temptation was to set it aside for a day or two, pray about it, and then respond.

Realizing they had a web page, I went on it, clicked on some of the selections they had placed on that site, and knew we had to have them at Parkland.

A single night midweek concert turned into two nights plus a mini-concert at a retirement home nearby. It was wonderful to hear the singing, and the response of the people to a concert of ten singers in harmony with one another.

Working with the this has been a delight. They graciously accommodated what was almost a last minute addition to their busy schedule and we were delighted with the experience of working with them over three days here in the Sault. I know you will enjoy working with them too.

We would gladly have them again at Parkland.

To Whom it may concern:

I am writing this letter in support of the Ernst Family Singers. They are truly a Christ centered family blessed by God with amazing voices. We have had them at our church a number of times and have been blessed each time. They share their hearts passion, Christ! You will be blessed by having them come to your church to share their gift of music.

In Christ alone,
Rev. Donald B. Dunn

It is a pleasure to recommend the Ernst Family. They have been a great blessing to us through both their music and their presence. Musically, their broad range of styles and the quality of the vocals have been a delight to all who attended, and many new faces were drawn to our church as a result. Spiritually, their message is rich with the gospel through the selection of songs and Gregg’s gifted testimonies. I have no doubt that any who attend an Ernst Family Concert will leave blessed in many ways.