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Another compromise

SOCOG close to deal with marching bands

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Posted: Wednesday August 11, 1999 11:27 AM

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- The Sydney Olympic committee and the company responsible for organizing the marching bands at the games' opening ceremony have reached agreement on a revised makeup of the musicians, but differ on how much the move will cost.

The organizing committee wants the number of countries represented in the band to increase from three to 20, with Australians making up the largest number.

SOCOG president Michael Knight said today that $520,000 will be offered to World Projects Corporation to set up a band that had fewer Americans.

But SOCOG said that World Projects is asking for $780,000. If the two sides cannot agree by Monday, the matter will be decided by the New South Wales Supreme Court.

"World Projects and SOCOG agree on the composition of the band, we're down to an argument about money," Knight said.

"They've put their figure on the table, we've put a lower figure on the table."

SOCOG said the amount it offered covered the cost to WPC of the extra rehearsals, instruments and recruitment for the enlarged band of between 1,900 and 2,200 musicians and legal costs incurred in the drawn-out negotiations over the last two months.

The SOCOG board decided in June to replace the 1,300 American and 200 Japanese students in the 2,000-strong band originally envisaged after a public backlash over the lack of Australians.

The American students refused a compromise offer by SOCOG to play at other less-important venues, pushing the matter to court.

The number of Australians in the new band would increase by 400 to about 900, meaning several hundred Americans would have to be replaced to make way for the Australians and musicians from the additional 17 countries.

SOCOG vice-president John Coates said World Projects principal Bill Lutt had assured SOCOG there would be a lot of Americans who would drop out after the troubles of the last couple of months.

"We've reached agreement with Bill Lutt that he can make that cut -- it's his call and he said it's possible," said Coates.

The marching band will perform a seven-minute routine during the cultural component of the opening ceremony on Sept. 15, 2000 and then play as the athletes enter the arena.

 

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