This week, esctoday.com got the chance to meet Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and the six acts he has chosen to battle for the right to represent the United Kingdom at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. He will write the song that represents the United Kingdom this year, and after a selection process, he has picked six very different acts to present to the British public. This week, he introduced his acts to the media for the first time.
Andrew Lloyd Webber was more than happy to introduce the finalsts for Your Country Needs You to the media this week and explain the reasons for selecting them. The finalists include a five-piece soul band, twins, four solo artists, two men and two women ranging from 17 to 36 years of age.
The six acts were introduced to the press and each performed a song with a piano accompanyment. With timebefore the first live show beinglimited, Lord Webber provided constructive criticism and support in front of the media as he takes every possible moment to develop the artists. The artists have all chosen the songs they will perform with advice from the team working with them. He was keen to stress the difference between his approach and that of shows such as The X Factor, stating "we nuture our acts, we don't torture them".
The Lord explains that "there will be no tricks in the show. All performers will be live with no hidden backing singers". They will perform to an orchestral accompanyment and everything will be 100% live. He explains that his greatest joy with the project is that the BBC have given him the chance to work directly with the artists and mentor them.
Mark
Mark was first to be introduced to the press before leaving to take part in a show that he is performing in. Andrew was keen to explain that he is working with him to capture the room as well as the television audience, no easy feat. He shows a strong voice and is likely to be popular with viewers.
Emperors of Soul
The five piece Emperors of Soul organise their own arrangements and harmonies, which Andrew jokes leaves him rather redundant. He explains that each could be a soloist in their own right but together provide a very different sound and look to anything Eurovision has seen before.
The Twins
Next to be introduced are The Twins, Nicola and Francine. They perform showing off their solo talents and strong harmonies that Andrew says is incredible because they sound like one unified voice. He likens their compatibility to the Everley Brothers.
Charlotte
The fourth artist to be introduced to the press was 17 year old Charlotte whoAndrewcalled "our baby". She will perform a complicated song showing off her vocal prowess, but we were told that it was her choice and proves that she is brave beyond her years. She has also been working with an acting coach to help her deliver the most powerful performance of her song possible.
Damien
Next to perform their song for this week was Damien. The 36 year old has been performing to small crowds and was not shy of the media. He showed a strong vocal talent with a smokey and natural voice and deep eyes that warms the audience.
Jade
The final act to be introduced wasJade, a strong singer and dancer that seems to perform naturally. She exudes energy and confidence and shows off a wide vocal range along with charisma that television audiences are likely to enjoy. Lord Andrew confirmed that she had progressed through the same casting as the other acts, and was not parachuted into the showat the last minute.
- UK readers can watch the show online this week at BBC iplayerhere.
- All readers can watch the six acts' auditions here.
- Read the biographies of the UK's six Eurovision Acts here.
- Read the last UK winner's interview about the show here.
