Young Maltese singer Eleanor Spiteri recently wowed a crowd of over 40,000 baseball fans in San Francisco with a rousing rendition of the American national anthem.

Ms Spiteri, 21, was granted the honour of performing the Star-Spangled Banner before the Major League Baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Arizona Diamond Back at the AT & T Park on July 27. The team traditionally hosts a different singer to perform the anthem before each game.

Having recently graduated as a nurse, she was in the US visiting relatives. Ms Spiteri is a member of Malta Song for Europe entrants Trilogy and one of her relatives had the idea of submitting a recording of her singing the Star-Spangled Banner to the Giants' promotional department in the hope that they would allow her to sing.

They were initially told that most, if not all, the singers for the season had been selected and therefore didn't hold much hope.

However, promotional director Kim Smith contacted the family personally after hearing the recording to see if Ms Spiteri was available to sing on July 27.

She performed with no music, no warm-up and after only one sound check two hours earlier. Over 40 members of her extended family were present to witness the performance that was met with enthusiastic applause by the crowd.

While she performed, the giant screen in the stadium displayed the words, 'TV and recording artist from Malta' - and family members felt a great sense of national pride.