LONGMEADOW – For over 60 years the Longmeadow High School (LHS) Music Department has offered fresh fruit for sale around the holiday season as a means to raise necessary funds for music department equipment, events, and activities.

While this year has been an exceptional one, the fruit sale will go on.

In years prior the students involved in the music department were able to sell fruit to people not only online, but also in person. This year, however, the sale is restricted to online sales only, due to COVID–19.

“We had a great time last year. Our student volunteers are exceptional,” LHS Music Department Chair and Vocal Music Director Kayla Werlin explained. “Our Tri–M Music Honor Society members run the sale, from collating orders to customer service to moving 20 and 40 pound boxes of fruit, to standing on street corners, waving like maniacs, and selling to passers by.”

As a result of last year's sale, the music department was able to support numerous programs with the funds raised.

“Last year, for example, even though our year in person was cut short in March, fruit sale funds allowed us to rent professional lighting for our annual Chamber Concert, bring in guest artists Village Harmony, co–sponsor the commissioning of new work for band, repair several of our instruments, and transport nearly 200 high school musicians to perform at the two Longmeadow Middle School.”

While there is no specific goal for the amount of money the music department is looking to raise from their fruit sale this year, they are looking to fund special commissioning projects with two alumni.    

“We’re partnering with Dr. Stephen Spinelli (LHS 2003) and the choirs he directs at Cornell University. Cornell and LHS are commissioning composer Dr. LJ White (LHS 2002) to write a new piece of music that speaks to community and connection in choral music, and the losses we’ve felt as singing communities during the COVID pandemic,” Werlin shared. “We’re also taking advantage of the opportunities remote learning is providing us to virtually bring in guest artists, professional musicians from out of the region, to work with our students.”

To purchase fruit from the LHS Music Department Fruit Sale, go to https://freshfruitorder.org/LongmeadowMusic/Organizations/LandingPage.aspx

“We know that this year will be different. Not only are we unable to serve the community in person, but we’ve all been economically impacted by the COVID pandemic. We don’t have a specific goal, we’re just appreciative of our community for offering us their continued support,” Werlin closed.