The decision came as 1000 music-lovers crowded into ANU's Union Court yesterday to protest against the proposed cuts in one of the biggest and loudest rallies in the university's history.

The protest took the form of a massive roving concert, with various musical acts dotted around campus joining for a jam session at lunchtime in the central court.

While the ANU management decision does not change its plans to eliminate 10 of the 32 positions, it gives staff a greater chance to fight for their jobs or a chance at redeployment - as well as access to full redundancy payouts if they go. The National Tertiary Education Union was yesterday notified that ANU would withdraw its ''change management proposal'' after the union issued a notice of dispute over its ''spill and fill'' plans for long-serving and specialised staff - many of whom are musicians of world repute.

Vice-chancellor Ian Young said that ''while the university does not concede that the ANU Enterprise Agreement has been breached, the university accepts that some staff may have concerns regarding the wording of the change proposal as it relates to declaring positions vacant. It is also noted that some staff think that this has occurred now, which it has not. Any staffing changes that might arise will be finalised once the outcome of the overall consultation process has been concluded.''

Professor Young said that, in acknowledging these concerns, the uni had agreed to change the wording to include the reference ''any impacts on staff will be managed in accordance with the provisions of the Enterprise Agreement''.

''Subject to the conclusion of the consultation process, and if the revised curriculum is implemented, the ANU will seek expressions of interest from existing staff for positions within the proposed staffing profile,'' Professor Young said.

Union ACT division secretary Stephen Darwin said it was a breakthrough that management had agreed to withdraw the change management document, although both parties were still agreeing on the new terms and technical wording.

Mr Darwin said the move would come as a partial relief to staff, whose jobs could no longer simply be declared as vacant. ''Now management will have to go through the redundancy process, justify a position as redundant, and justify the staff member can't do that job in the new curriculum and then justify why they can't claim redeployment.''

The nine permanent administrative staff whose positions were spilled last fortnight had a particularly strong case to stay, Mr Darwin said.

He noted that while the change management document had said staff affected would get access to their ''full entitlement'', this term was outside the Enterprise Agreement. ''A full entitlement to what is what we want to know,'' he said.

Mr Darwin said there was no doubt some staff wanted to leave the school following the stresses of the past few weeks.

Among the 1000 music-lovers in the protest was percussionist Gary France, who has performed with the likes of James Morrison, Richie Cole, and Ricky May.

France led about 50 student musicians from the School of Music, past the Chancellery Building to the growing audience in Union Court.

A band was already playing and student and staff performers began a several-hour-long jam.

Saxophonist John Mackey, who has performed with blues legends, including B.B. King and Ray Charles, kept the audience swaying as staff were singled out for applause.

One rousing improvisation saw the assembled crowd chant ''Save Our School'', while the more refined strains of a choral rendition of the national anthem was conducted by head of aural studies, Olle Palmqvist, from the bridge above.

A few metres away, a more folksy group persisted with The Beatles classics above the driving beat.

Both Professor Young and deputy vice-chancellor (academic) Marnie Hughes-Warrington were interstate because of pre-existing commitments.

Neither Professor Young nor University of Canberra vice-chancellor Stephen Parker would comment on speculation that the University of Canberra could step in and offer a financial lifeline to the beleaguered school.

Professor Young is believed to be interested in securing philanthropic donations as a way to bolster School of Music finances, and said it had also been raised on numerous occasions as part of staff feedback during the three-week consultation period. He said ''the school's doors will always be open to individuals, businesses, arts organisations and government to explore ways to support and enhance the work of the School of Music and music generally in the ACT community.''