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Locked Out St. Paul Musicians Hold Sold Out Concert

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Their orchestra may be locked out, but it won't be silenced. That was the message from the musicians from the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

The musicians said they were overwhelmed with the response from Sunday night's sold out concert at Wayzata Community Church.

They called it a wonderful opportunity to stay in contact with the audience. The orchestra has been locked out for six weeks, and the sticking point is wages. Musicians said if the management's 33 percent pay cut goes into effect, it'll lose some of its members.

"We're fighting to keep our orchestra together, 20-some years we have played together," said Carol Smith, the chair of the St. Paul Chamber Musician's Association.

The last time musicians met with orchestra management was a month ago. No new talks are scheduled yet. All concerts for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra have been canceled through the end of the year.

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