“I sat there transfixed” – Pastor Jim Carson, Kakabeka Falls, ON
They were simply wonderful!” – resident, long term care home, Fergus, ON
“A blend of love” – Peter Togni, host of CBC’s Choral Concert
OneBlood is a five member family a cappella group hailing from Lunenburg, NS. Formed in 2009 as a sub-set of The Ernst Family, OneBlood has gone on to tour Canada and the US, and has released a self-titled CD.
They have an extensive range of repertoire which comes from a wide variety of traditions – this includes madrigals, spirituals, gospel, barbershop, and light pop with a little bit of beatboxing thrown in. The genetic similarity of their voices gives a blend rarely found in unrelated voices, and years of singing in close harmony has resulted in a strong, cohesive sound.
The group consists of father, Gregg Ernst, and sons Joshua, John, Peter, and Elijah. They started singing in 2001 with their family, The Ernst Family, which also includes Gregg’s wife Jennie and three more of the family’s ten children. Together with the rest of the Ernsts, the members of OneBlood have released three CDs, toured the Maritimes, northeastern US, and Ontario, and have appeared on national radio and television.
Meet the OneBlood men
Gregg – Father – bass
Gregg Ernst
As the father and senior member of OneBlood, I’d like to take a few moments to introduce myself to you. I’m the seventh generation of our father in the area – we’ve lived in and around Lunenburg since we got off the boat in 1753 – and the third generation to live on the farm where my wife, Jennie, and I have raised our family. I grew up a dairy farmer, continuing until my father retired a few years after I was married. Sixteen years ago, I apprenticed under Vernon Walters, the last of the famous Walters family blacksmiths who made the ironwork for such tallships as the Bluenose I and Bluenose II. I took over the business when he retired and have run it since, though lately it’s been only part-time.
My whole life I’ve trained and worked with my body, and have been considered one of the world’s strongest men, still holding the world record for the most weight lifted by a man.
So why music? I think it probably is a combination of both nature and nurture. There is a musical streak in my mother’s side of the family – she is second cousin to Denny Doherty of the Mamas and Papas, and her brother Jim was a fixture in our area as a songwriter and was part of a folk band that toured inter-provincially a number of years ago.
We Ernsts (the name actually means “earnest” or “serious”) tend to be reserved by nature – not overly emotional – but the thing that I find most interesting and powerful about music is that it puts us in touch with the deepest part of ourselves. In the incessant day to day demands of life, it sinks deep enough to remind us that, yes, we feel. It connects us with joy, love, and peace. I believe God has put a gift in our family, and want to share it with as many people as care to listen.
Joshua – 25 – tenor
Joshua Ernst
As the oldest brother of our large, rural family, I have been compared to John Boy from the Waltons. I work for my father in his marine blacksmithing business. Wehn not pounding pieces of hot steel into various useful articles or tools, I keep busy on our farm by helping to repair fence, make hay, gather firewood, care for the garden, and look after the animals. I also put my metalworking skills to use repairing our aging farm machinery and vehicles.
As a boy who wanted very much to grow to be a many man like my Dad, I wanted a powerful bass voice like his. When my voice started to change, I began to practice speaking and singing in tones as deep as I could manage. After frustration and vocal training made it clear that the Lord had given me a higher man’s voice – high baritone or tenor – instead of the James Earl Jones sound-alike I had been working on. After I had gotten past the denial stage, I began trying out the higher registers of my voice with much more success. I now sing second tenor or lead most of the time, but sometimes my brother John lets me sing the high note. I have learned to enjoy it!
Being part of the OneBlood singing group has been amazing so far. We have been in some tight spots together, and have had our share of adventures that are fonder in memory than they were fun to experience, but for me it has been a huge privilege, blessing, and blast to work with such great guys as my father and brothers are, singing for people in all sorts of situations.
John – 23 – tenor
John Ernst
I am, alas, quite bad at talking about myself. This is partly because I am careful of what I say, and ponder each sentence long before I write. But it’s also because I’m a recluse by nature, whose preferred way of getting to know people is conversation over a game of chess. Since I so seldom do talk about myself, I’ve never really learned the knack of it.
Instead of giving my own laboured account of myself, then, I have asked my family to describe me for you. They say that I’m an academic sort, in the habit of staring off into space and pondering abstract complexities. Dad recalled my rather obsessive way of learning new skills – I taught myself to work on my hands when I was five, and spent weeks on the finer points of whistling. Interestingly enough, Dad said that when I was younger he thought me least likely to be musical, and was surprised when I ended up being the family’s most serious music arranger.
My work is a rather variable affair, split between our family’s various businesses. At any given moment, I might be milking a cow, blacksmithing, hauling hay, making fence, or singing a concert. In my spare time, I do a fair amount of weightlifting, training about three times a week.
Peter – 20 – baritone
Peter Ernst
I would say I am the strange one of the bunch, but the truth is that all of us are shamelessly odd. People tell me I’m always smiling. I can’t say that’s completely true, but I can say I’m at my happiest when romping with small children.
I am the family’s I.T. guy. It started out as a little hobby, but it has grown. Now, when anything with electrically running through it isn’t working, I hear the desperate call: “Peeeeter!” I have done most of the design and maintenance work on our websites, such as they are. No, I don’t have have thick glasses and buck teeth. I too pound steel, haul hay, herd cattle, fork manure… all those farmer things… and I am extremely grateful to be brought up this way.
Music is my way to be creative. I am no Genn Gould, but I enjoy improvising on the piano, and I also put my ear for music into musical arrangements for the family. I love making music, and sharing with people.
Elijah – 19 – bass
Elijah Ernst
I live and work on my father’s farm doing whatever is necessary to keep things running well. I am a farmer, blacksmith, leatherworker, and singer. I’ve always been a hands-on guy who likes to learn new things. I like good quality tools – I’ll make them myself if I have to – and I can’t stand cheap stainless steel knives.
I was homeschooled like all my brothers and sisters and because of that have been able to pursue various hobbies and jobs. I’ve been singing with my family since I was eight, and plan to continue to do so.
