[cornishscot]

(Original post by cornishscot)
I think I may be able to clear up the mystery on this one folks - relating to something we discovered at our recent Module 2 training as London Ambassadors.

It seems that the "Athlete's Parade" does indeed take place during the opening ceremony of the OLYMPIC GAMES (and will therefore take place as we expect in the Olympic Stadium on 27th July).

However, having actually READ the news article properly now I see that the dates cited for this particular band being in London coincides with the Olympics Opening Ceremony so maybe they ARE taking part in the ceremony stadium after all and not as I had first suspected/reported above about the other event happening much later.

All will, no doubt, be revealed in due course come July 27th (all I have also READ somewhere else that the LSO have pre-recorded all national anthems for use, presumably but maybe not exclusively, at the medal ceremonies during the Olympics and Paralympics so you have to wonder why they need THIS American marching band to play the National Anthem at the opening ceremony too, unless, of course, they are not planning on using the LSO version then or want it played more than once during the course of the 3 hours - my preferred theory being the first though).

Wonder if other overseas groups will also be taking part in the segments of the opening/closing ceremonies we still know nothing about as yet - quite a strong possibility now that this story has broken I should say.

Oh well, we'll find out soon enough I guess !

[cornishscot]

(Original post by Bignic12)
well done! that sorts that mystery out then was driving me mad wondering what was going on!!

Not necessarily <LOL> - it's the dates you see that's the confusing part (& I'm sure the band have got it right and are coming over when they are expected to etc.)

[cornishscot]

(Original post by Flakeydom)
I don't think I've ever heard a worse rendition of the national anthem; the Military Wives sounded way way off key although it may just have been the acoustics of the stadium since the marching band later were also muted. Perhaps that's why most of the music at the ceremonies will be pre-recorded - the sound system for that is impressive

Interesting comments re. acoustics inside the stadium - maybe another reason why the LSO took the decision to pre-record the music rather than play live - I guess, at the end of the day, the stadium was designed and built with sport in mind rather than music too.

Wonder if there will be any "delay" in sound broadcast around the stadium - could be annoying/off-putting if there is a distinct echo if you are trying to follow a sound track/beat during your performance segment I should think. Let's hope the sound system they have has got all eventualities covered anyhow !

[cornishscot]

Heard another (sadly negative) article on the radio today as I drove to my brass band gig at Morden Hall Park, South London ......... this time about the catering arrangements.

The story goes that they are going to control what you take into the stadium quite severely and, just like when you go on a plane, you are not going to be allowed to have liquids in excess of 100mls although it will be possible to buy them inside (at inflated prices - the price being discussed on the radio report I heard for a bottle of water is £1.60 btw) and they are also going to restrict people from taking excessive amounts of food in as well - they would prefer that you bought from their approved suppliers inside the Olympic Park (again at inflated prices of £10 a head for a "simple lunch" and £6 for small glass of wine etc.)

Of course, may all be media hype and perhaps not quite true. Once again, we'll see come 27th July etc. !!!

[Dancer321]

I got offered a place in the Paralympics opening Ceremony today in the 98-WHIRL section , dancing role!
So pleased to finally have an answer & a positive one at that!

congratulations to every one else!

[cornishscot]

On a much more positive note I've just found this coverage of the official opening event at the Olympic Stadium on YouTube:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=QGM8Pugof00

Certainly gives you a flavour of the "atmosphere" of the occasion there doesn't it?

ONE question though ......... how do you get a "West" side out of something that is, essentially round/oval in shape rather than square/rectangle?

[cornishscot]

(Original post by Dancer321)
I got offered a place in the Paralympics opening Ceremony today in the 98-WHIRL section , dancing role!
So pleased to finally have an answer & a positive one at that!

congratulations to every one else!

Congratulations Dancer 321.

Still nobody from TSR cast in the Paralympics CLOSING ceremony yet?

[cornishscot]

This video clip is quite uplifting to see too - go Mr Music Man !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pceg0...eature=related

[tinydancersmum]

Congratulations Dancer321

[OneAndOnlyEmmaW]

i just got my offer too!!!!!
98-whirl - dance and movement role in para opening

issue though: i have booked a holiday with my parents so i actually miss the ceremony, as we couldnt put life on hold while we waited to hear, now need to choose, and poss cost my parents a lot of money

so confused and emotional, was kind of hoping for understudy in olympics

[Flakeydom]

(Original post by cornishscot)
The story goes that they are going to control what you take into the stadium quite severely and, just like when you go on a plane, you are not going to be allowed to have liquids in excess of 100mls although it will be possible to buy them inside (at inflated prices - the price being discussed on the radio report I heard for a bottle of water is £1.60 btw) and they are also going to restrict people from taking excessive amounts of food in as well - they would prefer that you bought from their approved suppliers inside the Olympic Park (again at inflated prices of £10 a head for a "simple lunch" and £6 for small glass of wine etc.)

That's the same at most stadiums these days - Wembley etc and in other countries too - I went to the Super Bowl a few years ago and go to NFL games fairly often and that always applies. The interesting thing with the Olympics is that you can't take them into the Park so if you're there for the day and planned on picnicking, you can't take a bottle of bubbles with you. I believe though that sealed bottles of water up to 500ml were OK - they certainly were for the test events. On Saturday night, a glass of wine was £5.20, a pint of beer was £4.60.

[Bignic12]

(Original post by Dancer321)
I got offered a place in the Paralympics opening Ceremony today in the 98-WHIRL section , dancing role!
So pleased to finally have an answer & a positive one at that!

congratulations to every one else!

congratulations .....woohoo

[Bignic12]

(Original post by OneAndOnlyEmmaW)
i just got my offer too!!!!!
98-whirl - dance and movement role in para opening

issue though: i have booked a holiday with my parents so i actually miss the ceremony, as we couldnt put life on hold while we waited to hear, now need to choose, and poss cost my parents a lot of money

so confused and emotional, was kind of hoping for understudy in olympics

oh no!!!! what to do??? think carefully before you respond

[Pinnerite]

(Original post by cornishscot)
Interesting comments re. acoustics inside the stadium - maybe another reason why the LSO took the decision to pre-record the music rather than play live - I guess, at the end of the day, the stadium was designed and built with sport in mind rather than music too.

Wonder if there will be any "delay" in sound broadcast around the stadium - could be annoying/off-putting if there is a distinct echo if you are trying to follow a sound track/beat during your performance segment I should think. Let's hope the sound system they have has got all eventualities covered anyhow !

I agree with Flakeydom that the acoustics need some sorting out before the Opening ceremony. Strangely enough I did not find it a problem at the Gold Challenge event a month or so ago although we did have seats nearer the front then in the uncovered part of the stadium. This time we were just under the covered part and Flakeydom was right at the top and we both had problems. The band looked very impressive but we could hardly hear them.

The national anthem was absolutely dreadful. Basically the Military Wives were supposed to lead us and we would join in, singing from words on the clappers we had been handed ( as if we did not know the words...) I have heard the Military Wives live at Strictly Come dancing and they were good but not amazing but something went drastically wrong with the first verse as it sounded as if they were all in the completely wrong key - or indeed in different keys- so the anticipated mass singalong never really happened.

[Flakeydom]

Congrats sambalaz, dancer321 and Emma W.

Tough choice Emma - speak to the 'rents and see what they say re the money. It may be that they just lose a deposit. I'm sure both would be fun... is the holiday a 'once in a lifetime' too?

[Flakeydom]

(Original post by Pinnerite)
I agree with Flakeydom that the acoustics need some sorting out before the Opening ceremony.

The recorded stuff that was getting blasted out of the speakers was fine though. Given earlier comments about doing things live at the ceremonies (at least at the closing) followed by lots of pre-recording, I wonder if earlier testers had similar results.

The national anthem was absolutely dreadful. Basically the Military Wives were supposed to lead us and we would join in, singing from words on the clappers we had been handed ( as if we did not know the words...) I have heard the Military Wives live at Strictly Come dancing and they were good but not amazing but something went drastically wrong with the first verse as it sounded as if they were all in the completely wrong key - or indeed in different keys- so the anticipated mass singalong never really happened.

Yes... it was the worst rendition of an anthem I've ever heard. In fact people just looked at one another as if to question if it was actually that bad and then people joined in just to try to drown them out! They apparently took a panoramic 360 of the stadium while it was going on but I didn't catch the URL they were posting it too. Pinnerite, Cinnamon - did either of you note it?

[OneAndOnlyEmmaW]

(Original post by Flakeydom)
Congrats sambalaz, dancer321 and Emma W.

Tough choice Emma - speak to the 'rents and see what they say re the money. It may be that they just lose a deposit. I'm sure both would be fun... is the holiday a 'once in a lifetime' too?

thanks everyone

yeah could lose my deposit and poss increase their price as room now not full.
not once in a life time, but still a good holiday, 2 weeks, 5 star half board.

they said to think about it, they will see what they can do and i email the cast co ordinators and ask if its this or nothing

[Concord]

The good news is that empty water bottles will be allowed in, and free drinking water will be available in the Olympic Park. But I'm still confident that this will be remembered as the drunken games!

[Pinnerite]

(Original post by Concord)
The good news is that empty water bottles will be allowed in, and free drinking water will be available in the Olympic Park. But I'm still confident that this will be remembered as the drunken games!

Very strange that you were allowed to take in normal sized full water bottles at all the London Prepares events including the opening on Saturday. I wonder if one could take in10x 100 ml bottles of water according to their rules

[Pinnerite]

Congrats sambalaz, dancer321 and Emma W. Amazing offers are coming out on Bank Holiday! Well done!

What a decision Emma W! I suppose, depending on when the holiday actually starts, there is no way you could pay for a flight there later and join up with the family then? I am not too confident about the casting team allowing you to change ceremonies - they would not let Rafiki change from doing both opening and closing olympics to just closing. But you never know they may have softened their approach since then but I suspect you and your parents have a very hard decision to make.... Best of luck with your decision