The first semi final of the Norwegian national selection for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest is about to be held. Seven acts will compete for two spots in the grand final.

How to watch?

A webcast will be made available by NRK for international viewers here. The webcast will only be working once the shows starts. Another webcast will be provided by VG here.

The participants

Composer/Lyricist in brackets.

1. Gaute Ormåsen – Synk eller svøm
   (Gaute Ormåsen, Laila Samuelsen, Kim Bergseth)
2. Lene Alexandra – Prima donna
   (Jarl Aanestad, Lene Alexandra/Jarl Aanestad, Lene Alexandra, Simon Walker)
3. Johnny Hide – Rewind love
   (Julian Berntzen)
4. Bjørn Johan Muri – Yes man
   (Simone Larsen, Simen Eriksrud, Bjørn Johan Muri)
5. Elisabeth Carew – Rocketfuel
   (Elisabeth Carew, Thomas Eriksen)
6. Maria Haukaas Storeng – Make My Day
   (Merethe La Verdi, Mats Lie Skåre/Merethe La Verdi)
7. Keep of Kalessin – The dragontower
   (Arnt Grønbech/Arnt Grønbech, Torbjørn Schei, Vegar Larsen, Robin Isaksen)

Your opinion

• You can vote for your favourite song in our poll here.

LIVE

The show is starting!

Marte Stokstad and Per Sundnes welcome the audience and once they have found Ørland on the map, they explain the format for tonight's show.

1. Gaute Ormåsen – Synk eller svøm

Current poll result: =2rd (15.6%)

The first song tonight is performed in Norwegian and its title means Sink or swim. Gaute obviously goes for the second option and delivers and energetic and straightforward performance of his song. The entry is very catchy and the Norwegian language and the marching band-like orchestration add a nice feeling to it. The very first song is already a strong contender to reach the final and might well be among the top two tonight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDZIACxd5Lg

2. Lene Alexandra – Prima donna

Current poll result: =2nd (15.6%)

Lene Alexandra returns with a classic Europop song and a less comedic approach. The song is another catchy tune that you can easily sing along after the first half. The performance, which is in a style somewhere between Lady Gaga and Charlotte Perrelli, is very confident and suits the song perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwDEYypOz6w

3. Johnny Hide – Rewind love

Current poll result: 7th (2.0%)

This is currently the least favourite song among the esctoday.com poll voters. Songs with a similar nostalgic feeling have often done better than expected in Norway in recent years but this one might break with the tradition. While the general approach is rather charming, the song itself is not overly catchy and gets rather repetitive after a while. The simple performance still suits the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCu2PyAyCTs

4. Bjørn Johan Muri – Yes man

Current poll result: =2nd (15.6%)

Performance-wise, the fourth entry tonight takes us back to the late 90s, when many boy groups split up and their lead singers started their solo careers (mostly with slower songs). Yes man starts off in a reserved way but gets more energetic as the song proceeds. Generally, this is a very interesting entry that grows on you but it might still not be enough of an instant hit to do well in the Eurovision Song Contest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhmpvfDSgAo

5. Elisabeth Carew – Rocketfuel

Current poll result: 6th (7.3%)

If another Sugababes member leaves the group, Elisabeth Carew might well fit into the band singing next to Jade Ewen. Rocketfuel is a modern up-tempo pop/dance song with a catchy melody and a matching performance. The audience reacts very positively to this entry, which might well be an option if Norway decides to go for an entry of this genre in 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZdhXtIRnnI

6. Maria Haukaas Storeng – Make my day

Current poll result: 1st (31.7%)

Maria Haukaas Storeng was one of the fan favourites in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest when she resented Norway and eventually finished fifth in the final. She is back with a new hairstyle and a minimalistic song called Make my day. This entry might not be as much of an instant hit as Hold on be strong, but it is one those songs that may grow on you if you listen to them several times. Although the performance is rather static, Maria charms the audience away with her pitch-perfect performance as we can tell from the enthusiastic reaction. The pantsuit with the oversized epaulettes might still be given a second thought, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RrO1smglTE

7. Keep of Kalessin – The dragontower

Current poll result: 5th (12.2%)

Hard rock usually splits the Eurovision fans into lovers and haters and if this one is going to represent Norway, this is likely to happen again. The dragontower might not be outstanding among other songs of the genre, but it would still be standing out in Eurovision (although it would be nothing new after Lordi's victory in 2006). The performance is typical for a song of its style and therefore matches it very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SU6FvVfi_M

Now a recap with all seven songs.

The interval act sends someone from the UK out to Norway to find the Eurovision Song Contest winning recipe.

Gaute Ormåsen and Bjørn Johan Muri have qualified for the second chance round. Maria Haukaas Storeng has qualified for the final! Keep of Kalessin have qualified for the final!