Cello Gate — Finger-Syncing The Inaugural Instrumental

ABC’s Tom Johnson from New York:

You’ve probably heard the news. On Inauguration day Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and two others serenaded the the Capitol (and the world) with a beautiful piece of music.  Only it turns out, in a bit of stage craft, the four were playing, but what was being broadcast to the world was a recording. 

The quartet made the recording and organizers say it was only used because of the frigid weather.  The concern was that such low temperatures could render their instruments out of tune or even worse the strings of their instruments could freeze and snap.  And nobody would want to hear that.

It all seems reminiscent of another recent high profile, world-is-watching, event: The China Olympics.  Remember China’s 7 year-old Lin Miaoke who dazzled while singing "Ode to the Motherland"?  It turned out that she was lip-synching.  The voice we heard was that of another girl who was deemed by the organizers to not be as cute.  Here’s how the Chinese organizer explained it, "The performer was Lin Mike, but the sound was Yang Pei. The reason…is this: One was for the benefit of the country. The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feelings, and expression, and Lin Mike meets our requirements in those aspects."

Now, no one is suggesting the US Inaugural Quartet fake out is at the same level as the China Olympic Ceremony fake out, right?