Song for Europe 2007

After years of requesting publicly the Malta Song Board to have the song submissions judged by a jury composed of foreigners, my prayers have been heard and we will now have a foreign judging panel right up to the end but one stage.

But it seems that you cannot make everybody happy in this world and some singers are protesting that many "good" singers have been left out. For the umpteenth time may I please remind these singers and all other people connected in one way or another with Song for Europe that this is a song contest and not a singers' contest. This is why diva Mary Spiteri has opted to leave her comments till after the songs are heard.

One thing I have disagreed with this year is that 35 songs were promoted from first phase to second phase of the selection process when 50 songs could have been passed. The reason given was that, albeit in conformity with the regulations, only 35 songs passed the 50 per cent vote mark, and the others, by inference, were all declared sub-standard. This is an insult to composers and authors and we are owed an apology. The board should make amends by allowing the next 15 songs in the line-up to take part in the second phase. Let the second phase jury judge. The board will lose nothing by making this favourable gesture. After all the rules say that the board's decisions are final. I appeal to the board to use its power positively.