Orange County Bands Headed to Australia, Again

After an on-again, off-again saga, a group of teenage Orange County musicians learned Wednesday that they are officially reinvited to play in opening ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

A month ago, the band members were abruptly dumped, swept aside by a tide of Australian nationalism about the Games. Since then, the Orange County students, and other American musicians from San Diego County and Georgia, have won over the Australian public with their tales of sacrifice. Many had taken extra jobs or delayed college entry for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to play before a worldwide audience.

But Olympic organizers required the extra persuasion of their own desire to settle a potentially humiliating lawsuit before its scheduled hearing in New South Wales Supreme Court next week. A compromise was struck at a meeting in Australia late Wednesday after more than a week of intense negotiations.

To assuage the concerns of some Australians, the new Olympic band will be increased by 200, to about 2,200 musicians, and reconfigured to better reflect the world’s diversity, although the exact makeup has yet to be determined. The number of Americans will be pared from 1,300 to about 900--probably by attrition. And Australian representation should jump from 500 to 900.

Two hundred Japanese students also were reinstated. Players from 17 other countries in Europe and Asia are expected to join.

Bass trombone player Anthony Morfa said he isn’t steamed about the initial Sydney snub. The 17-year-old can hardly wait to pack up his horn and head Down Under.

“I’m pretty stoked,” said Morfa, who will be a senior at Kennedy High School in La Palma. “It’s all coming together. I’m definitely still going.”

While Olympic organizers continue to haggle over what compensation to pay World Projects International, the group that organized the band, local band organizers are trying to figure out how the change will affect fund-raising efforts.

Each of the musicians from Kennedy High, Irvine High and El Dorado High in Placentia already has paid $800 toward the $3,000 cost of the trip, said Henri Soucy, band treasurer for Orange County. It is still unknown whether World Projects or the Sydney Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games will help pay travel costs.

Just before the invitation was revoked in June, volunteers had been planning a fund-raising push, hoping to encourage corporate and individual sponsors to offset the remaining $2,200 per student. If no other funding comes through, that effort will resume, Soucy said.

Lost now are valuable weeks of the summer, which is prime fund-raising time. Gained is increased recognition for the band members.

“In a strange way, this thing could be a positive,” Soucy said. “It has raised the awareness around us that we were even going to Australia in the first place. “

Bob Anthony, band director at Kennedy High, said he and his musicians are delighted to be reinstated.

“We’ve recently gotten a couple of letters from Australian kids,” he said. “They assured us that we would be warmly welcomed. They were sorry for the misunderstanding and looking forward to having the . . . Yanks come.”

Contributions to the Olympic band fund-raising effort in Orange County may be sent to Shamrock Regiment Australia 2000, 14502 Jersey Ave., Norwalk, CA 90650-4831.