Bergen celebrates not only staging a successful Norwegian semifinal this evening, but the victory of two of its own stars. The two Bergen-born acts in the third and last semifinal secure the remaining two safe places in the Norwegian final, singing to an enthusiastic home crowd.
The two songs voted top by the Norwegian public were, in no particular order:
Tor Endresen – Dreaming of a new tomorrow
Christine Guldbrandsen – Alvedansen
The result gives Melodi Grand Prix veteran Tor Endresen an eleventh chance for song contest glory. His first Melodi Grand Prix appearance was back in 1987, and he has since become a well-loved figure in Norwegian popular music.
Christine shares her triumph with the Norwegian language, her song being the only entry in the home tongue this year. Alvedansen is laced with the sound of traditional Norwegian folk music, mixed with the mystical quality of the country's 1995 entry Nocturne. Christine gave a serene performance with crystal-clear vocals.
Two further acts will sing again in the special second chance semi to be held on 3rd February. They are, again in no particular order:
Birgitte Einarsen – Saturday
Veronica Akselsen – Like a Wind
Birgitte will be hoping to better her 2003 Melodi Grand Prix result of third place. On February 3rd, it will be up to viewers to decide whether she gets the chance.
The two unplaced entries were:
Phung – Shut Up and Kiss Me
Kathrine Strugstad – Paparazzi world
Kathrine faced similar disappointment in the 2005 final when her entry Velvet blue failed to reach the top four of the 'superfinal'.
Christine and Tor join the four other secure acts in the Norwegian final, to be held on Saturday 4th February in Oslo.
