The Galician Center of Vitoria will not have to pay the 6,655 euros it owed to a hired orchestra, as the group's performance failed to meet the minimum required quality standards, featuring out-of-tune singers and unfamiliarity with song lyrics. This decision has been made by the Provincial Court of Álava.
The Galician Center has been contracting music groups to liven up the Feast of Santiago celebrations for forty years, always with the same representative. For 2023, he recommended the orchestra 'Ciudad de Vigo'.
Mónica Calvo, president of the Galician Center, explained to EFE that the contract for the two days of celebrations that weekend, July 22 and 23, 2023, amounted to almost 14,000 euros. Unlike previous years, this group demanded an advance payment of 50% of the amount.
The entity paid this amount, but not the remainder, alleging breach of contract. In response, the orchestra filed a lawsuit claiming the outstanding balance.
In a ruling this April, the Provincial Court of Álava upholds a previous resolution from a court of first instance and dismisses the orchestra's claim, thereby exempting the Center from paying the remainder of the agreed amount, understanding that breaches of contract had occurred.
The ruling confirms the existence of "numerous irregularities and failures to meet a reasonable minimum, appreciable by any average listener, in the interpretation and development of the artistic presentation of the contracted band, corroborated by video recordings."
That initial sentence concluded that "discrepancies and defects in the orchestra's performance were sufficiently proven to consider the contract breached" and to dismiss the lawsuit.
Calvo explained that they presented the judge with videos, photos, and testimonies from people present at the show, which she described as "lamentable".
Their complaint alleged that the musicians, with one exception, did not match those appearing in promotional images, the singers did not know the choreography or lyrics, schedules were not met, "out-of-tune singing, feedback, non-functioning microphones, and constant mismatches in music and songs" occurred, and the attire of some members was inappropriate.
Furthermore, despite contracting a group with a stage truck, the Galician Center reported that they arrived in Vitoria, "late," with a vehicle that was "for scrap".
“"I don't think they even knew each other; they didn't know the lyrics of the songs they had to look up on their phones and sang out of tune; it was terrible"
The Center's president explained that during the trial, they argued the damages caused by the show, as many attendees left and they did not achieve the expected sales of products and revenue from refreshments. Despite this, they attempted to renegotiate the amount owed to the orchestra, which refused.
Now, the Provincial Court has closed the case (no appeal is possible against this ruling), and the Galician Center will not have to pay the remainder for these "unforgettable" concerts.
