LOL stands for Lively Old Ladies

North End

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/12/2024 (605 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two years ago five musicians decided to form a chamber music quintet.

All in their 70s, they play classical selections by Mozart, Schubert and other mid-18th century composers. It’s interesting to note two of the LOL members began playing their instruments at a mature age.

Phyllis Portnoy, spokesperson of the group, studied piano most of her life. When she took her young grandson for violin lessons, his interest was short-lived. It was her dream, not his, so she began taking violin lessons at age 60. The founding member of the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy (which holds a one-week string camp for young musicians on the campus of Canadian Mennonite University) said this was when she discovered her love of chamber music. It’s also where she met her LOL friends.

Portnoy said chamber music is played by stringed instruments such as violins, cellos and violas. The retired University of Manitoba English teacher plays the cello and said she is practising hard to catch up to the others in her group.

Lois Shrift, whose LOL role is second violin, began taking lessons at age 40. The mother of five reveals that all her kids took lessons on piano, violin and guitar.

“I found it so much fun that I took lessons for myself,” she said.

Judy Tennenhouse, first violin is now retired from nursing and keeps active as a violin teacher, both privately and through the Suzuki program. In her teens she enjoyed the Winnipeg Youth Orchestra.

“I began teaching when I saw the benefits to my children, who had all joined the music program,” she said.

Marcha Murphy plays viola with the LOL group and recalls that her first teacher was her mother.

“I was seven years old and I still have that small violin,” she said.

Murphy taught a string program in Illinois public schools for years, but after coming to Winnipeg was employed by Suzuki Music. She has found many opportunities in the city to play with community orchestras and meet with other musicians.

Margaret Metcalfe is second viola in the LOL quintet. She graduated from McGill University and for 35 years was first violinist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.

“I moved here a few years ago and feel very fortunate to have found this group of ladies who play chamber music,” she said

LOL recently presented a program called From Classics to Klezmer at Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre.

The Lively Old Ladies have found their “happy place.” Each week they join together to play and share the kind of music they love.