Uproar as leading orchestra told to mime at Games

LONDON: Part of the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics has been labelled a travesty after it emerged that the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) will be miming instead of delivering a live show as athletes from the competing nations parade around the stadium in front of a worldwide audience.

Members of the LSO, one of the world’s finest orchestras, were shocked to discover last week that they will give a “pretend performance” at the ceremony, while the actual sound filling the stadium will be from a recording they made six weeks ago.

The Musicians’ Union claimed last night that the ceremony’s artistic creator, film director Danny Boyle, wanted a live performance but was overruled by Locog, the body organising the Games.

Locog claims that the stadium’s bowl-like shape and the uncertainties of the British weather would make a live concert too risky.

Many orchestra members say that, having recorded music for the ceremony, they did not expect to have to attend the actual event – and called the miming plan a waste of money. The 95-strong orchestra is understood to have made the recording at the Beatles’ Abbey Road studios.

One player said: “The LSO is one of the best orchestras in the world and we’re being asked to mime in front of a global audience of billions.”

The extraordinary arrangement means that the big-name conductor chosen to preside over the orchestra at the opening ceremony on July 27 will be moving his arms around to no effect. The conductor hired for the Abbey Road recordings was Frenchman Francois-Xavier Roth, associate guest conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

But a bigger name from the world of classical music is expected to be brought in to preside over the orchestra at the £80 million ceremony. Music producer Steve Levine, who has worked with classical ensembles and pop groups including The Beach Boys, said: “It’s an absolute travesty. Live music could easily have been included. The UK has some of the finest sound engineers in the world. British television regularly stages live music events at Wembley Stadium and Glastonbury in all weather conditions.”

Music experts are puzzled by Locog’s failure to let the LSO perform live since the orchestra has experience of playing in large public spaces. The orchestra referred all questions to Locogwhose spokesman said: “Due to the complexity of staging the ceremony, it is not possible for all music to be live.”

It is understood that British-born conductor Sir Simon Rattle, music director of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, has been invited to appear with the LSO at the event. His concert diary is free throughout the Games. Sir Simon’s agents, Askonas Holt, re-