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American students to be cut from band

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Posted: Monday August 16, 1999 11:05 AM

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- At least 400 marching band members from the United States will be dumped from the opening ceremonies of the Sydney Olympics as part of a settlement reached by Games organizers Monday.

The Sydney Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games agreed to pay California-based World Projects Corp. an extra $650,000 to train an expanded band of about 2,200 from 20 nations, on top of its initial fee of $585,000.

Under the earlier contract, broken by SOCOG, the 2,000-member band was to have included 1,300 Americans from schools in California and Georgia, plus 200 Japanese and 500 Australians. SOCOG dropped the international band after a public backlash, but has been forced into an embarrassing backflip. The new band is to include 900 Australians, and they are to provide the largest number from one country. At least 400 American students will be cut from the program. It's unclear whether any of the Georgia students -- from Walton High School in Cobb County and Fayette County High School -- will make the trip.

SOCOG president Michael Knight said Monday he is satisfied with the new deal.

"While the negotiated compromise is not what either side would ideally prefer, it is now closer to the concept of a world band," Knight said.

"WPC has taken full responsibility for reducing the number of Americans, maintaining the Japanese numbers and recruiting other young musicians from around the world."

The out-of-court agreement settles a lawsuit brought by WPC, whose attorney, Paul Brereton, accused SOCOG of a "calculated, deliberate and flagrant" breach of contract.

The two sides were in court today for a hearing before Justice John Bryson, but an adjournment was called after two hours. When the parties returned, Brereton told the court the matter was settled.

The issue became an embarrassing public relations disaster for Knight and SOCOG after the board dumped the American and Japanese student band members.

Instead of a seven-minute performance at the opening ceremony, the students were offered a chance to play at non-Olympic venues in Sydney during the Games, including the Opera House.

Knight's handling of the matter has come under attack locally and internationally, and he admitted last week that the board had "collectively made a mess" of the issue.

Knight told reporters July 6 there was no way he would reinstate overseas performers in the opening ceremony.

"No, we've made a decision nearly two weeks ago at the board to remove the foreign musicians from the massed band during the opening ceremony and that decision stands," Knight said at the time.

 

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