Eurosong final night draws close

Schoolchildren will be attending the dress rehearsal of the Malta Eurosong concert where they will also be taught about the country's music history.

"We want children to have fun and, at the same time, give the 20 contestants the feeling of a live audience during the dress rehearsal," said Clare Thake Vassallo, the chairman of PBS which is organising the festival.

She said that during the morning dress rehearsal on Friday, children who attend the event will get a fun lesson on the history of Maltese recorded music dating back to the 1930s. Children between nine and 16 will be able to attend the rehearsal against a fee of €3, €1of which will be donated to the Malta Community Chest Fund.

Tickets for the concert, to be held at the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre in Ta' Qali next Saturday, are already on sale and rehearsals will start next week. The concert is sponsored by Go and Hamilton Travel.

Dr Thake Vassallo said this year, a premium ticket was being offered that catered specifically for Eurosong lovers. Apart from buying a normal entrance ticket, ranging between €10 and €25, viewers can buy an additional premium ticket for €25 that would allow them entrance to the dress rehearsal and after party, as well as reserved parking on the night, fast track entry and a copy of the Eurosong 2010 CD.

She added that this year there would also be a Website Award allowing viewers to vote for their favourite song on www.maltaeurosong.com.

The preferred singer will win €1,000 worth of web services.

Joe Dimech, from the Eurosong organising committee, said the winner would be picked by a five-jury panel whose votes would have 50 per cent of the weighting. The audience would carry another 50 per cent through televoting, same as last year.

Voting starts at about 11.40 p.m. and is estimated to last about 45 minutes, after which the winner would be announced. Unlike last year, he said, there would be no super final.

Each time a juror casts his vote the ranking of the contestants will change on screen.

The winner will represent the island in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 25. If Malta gets through, the winner goes on to compete in the final in Norway on May 29.