1998 EUROVISION SONG CONTEST

Edition number - 43

Date - May 9, 1998

Host broadcaster - BBC, United Kingdom

Host city - Birmingham

Venue - National Indoor Arena

Hosts - Ulrika Jonsson / Terry Wogan

Director - Geoff Posner

Producer - Guy Freeman

Stage designer - Andrew Howe-Davies

Executive producer - Kevin Bishop

Musical director - Martin Koch

Orchestra - BBC Concert Orchestra

Concertmaster - Martin Loveday

Opening sequence original music - Martin Koch

Interval act - 'Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity', an outtake of Gustav Holst's Suite 'The Planets' re-orchestrated by Martin Koch and performed by Lesley Garrett (soprano), Vanessa Mae (violin), Andy Findon (tin whistle), Carys Hughes (harp), Canoldir Male Choir, Clan Sutherland Pipe Band, Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Trumpeters of the Band of The Blues and Royals, Patti Boulaye's Sun Dance, and Nachda Sansar Dance Group

Scrutineer - Christine Marchal-Ortiz

Number of entries - 25

Winning entry - 'Diva' Dana International

Winning songwriters - Yoav Ginai / Tzvika Pick

Winning orchestrator - none

Winning conductor - none

Slovenia's delegation in Birmingham, from left - conductor Mojmir Sepe, songwriting duo Urša & Matjaž Vlašić, singer Vili Resnik, backing vocalists Sandra Zupanc & Karmen Stavec, and arranger Sašo Fajon. In the course of rehearsals, the songwriters took the inexplicable decision to use the backing track recorded in Ljubljana (also conducted by Sepe) rather than the BBC Concert Orchestra, meaning that Mojmir Sepe turned out to have travelled to Birmingham with no purpose

RESULT

1st place (172 votes)

ISRAEL

Song title – “Diva”

Rendition – Dana International (Yaron Cohen)

Lyrics – Yoav Ginai

Composition – Tzvika Pick

Studio arrangement – Alon Levin / Uri Cabiri / Offer Nisim

Live orchestration – none

Conductor – none

2nd place (166 votes)

UNITED KINGDOM

Song title – "Where Are You?"

Rendition – Imaani

Lyrics – Scott English / Phil Manikiza / Simon Stirling

Composition – Scott English / Phil Manikiza / Simon Stirling

Studio arrangement – James McMillan

Live orchestration – James McMillan

Conductor – James McMillan

3rd place (165 votes)

MALTA

Song title – “The One That I Love”

Rendition – Chiara Siracusa

Lyrics – Sunny Aquilina

Composition – Jason Paul Cassar

Studio arrangement – Jürgen Blömke / Michael Buchner / Jason Paul Cassar / Manfred Holz

Live orchestration – none

Conductor – none

4th place (150 votes)

NETHERLANDS

Song title – "Hemel en aarde"

Rendition – Edsilia Rombley

Lyrics – Jochem Fluitsma / Eric van Tijn

Composition – Jochem Fluitsma / Eric van Tijn

Studio arrangement – Jochem Fluitsma / Eric van Tijn / Gerbrand Westveen

Live orchestration – Gerbrand Westveen

Conductor – Dick Bakker

5th place (131 votes)

CROATIA

Song title – "Neka mi ne svane"

Rendition – Danijela Martinović

Lyrics – Petar Grašo

Composition – Petar Grašo

Studio arrangement – Remi Kazinoti / Stipica Kalogjera

Live orchestration – Stipica Kalogjera

Conductor – Stipica Kalogjera

6th place (122 votes)

BELGIUM

Song title – “Dis oui”

Rendition – Mélanie Cohl (Mélanie Picron)

Lyrics – Philippe Swan

Composition – Philippe Swan

Studio arrangement – Philippe Swan

Live orchestration – none

Conductor – none

7th place (86 votes)

UNITED GERMANY

Song title – “Guildo hat Euch lieb”

Rendition – Guildo Horn & Die Orthopädischen Strümpfe (= Michael Kernbach / Rainer Kind / August Schrader / Albert Niesen / Michael Schneider)

Lyrics – Stefan Raab

Composition – Stefan Raab

Studio arrangement – Stefan Raab / Michael Holm

Live orchestration – none

"Conductor" – Stefan Raab

8th place (79 votes)

NORWAY

Song title – “Alltid sommer (All I Ever Wanted Was You)”

Rendition – Lars A. Fredriksen

English lyrics – David Eriksen / Per Kristian Ottestad

Norwegian lyrics - Linda Andernach Johannesen

Composition – David Eriksen

Studio arrangement – David Eriksen

Live orchestration – Trond Lien

Conductor – Geir Langslet

9th place (64 votes)

IRELAND

Song title – “Is Always Over Now?”

Rendition – Dawn Martin

Lyrics – Gerry Morgan

Composition – Gerry Morgan

Studio arrangement – Graham Murphy / Chris O'Brien

Live orchestration – Noel Kelehan

Conductor – Noel Kelehan

10th place (53 votes)

SWEDEN

Song title – "Kärleken är"

Rendition – Jill Johnson

Lyrics – Ingela “Pling” Forsman

Composition – Håkan Almqvist / Bobby Ljunggren

Studio arrangement – Håkan Almqvist / Bobby Ljunggren 

Live orchestration – Lennart Sjöholm

Conductor – Anders Berglund

11th place (37 votes)

CYPRUS

Song title – "Genesis"

Rendition – Michael Chadzigiannis

Lyrics – Zenon Zindilis

Composition – Michael Chadzigiannis

Studio arrangement – Costas Cacogiannis

Live orchestration – Costas Cacogiannis

Conductor – Costas Cacogiannis

12th & 13th place (ex aequo, 36 votes)

PORTUGAL

Song title – "Se eu te pudesse abraçar"

Rendition – Alma Lusa (Inês Santos / José Cid / Carlos Ferreirinha / Carlos Jesus / Henrique Lopes / Pedro Soares)

Lyrics – José Cid

Composition – José Cid

Studio arrangement – Mike Sergeant

Live orchestration – Mike Sergeant

Conductor – Mike Sergeant

ESTONIA

Song title – “Mere lapsed”

Rendition – Koit Toome

Lyrics – Peeter Pruuli

Composition – Maria Rahula / Tomi Rahula

Studio arrangement – Alar Kotkas / Tõnu Kõrvits / Ilmar Laisaar / Mikk Targo / Koit Toome

(Orchestra of the Estonian Broadcasting Company conducted by Heiki Vahar)

Live orchestration – Tõnu Kõrvits

Conductor – Heiki Vahar

14th place (25 votes)

TURKEY

Song title – Unutamazsın

Rendition – Tüzmen (Tarkan Tüzmen)

Lyrics – Canan Tunç

Composition – Erdinç Tunç

Studio arrangement – Ümit Eroğlu

Live orchestration – Ümit Eroğlu

Conductor – Ümit Eroğlu

15th place (22 votes)

FINLAND

Song title – "Aava"

Rendition – Edea (Alexi Ahoniemi / Abdissa Assefa / Samuli Kosminen / Marika Krook / Tommy Mansikka-aho)

Lyrics – Alexi Ahoniemi / Tommy Mansikka-aho

Composition – Alexi Ahoniemi

Studio arrangement – Timo Tapani Oksala / Kimmo Kajasto / Edea

Live orchestration – Timo Tapani Oksala / Kimmo Kajasto / Edea

Conductor – Olli Ahvenlahti

16th place (21 votes)

SPAIN

Song title – "¿Qué voy a hacer sin ti?"

Rendition – Mikel Herzog

Lyrics – Mikel Herzog

Composition – Alberto Estébanez

Studio arrangement – Alberto Estébanez

Live orchestration – Alberto Estébanez

Conductor – Alberto Estébanez

17th place (19 votes)

POLAND

Song title – “To takie proste”

Rendition – Sixteen (Renata Dąbkowska / Mirosław Hoduń / Jarosław Pruskowski / Tomasz Stryczniewicz / Janusz Witaszek, feat. Olga Pruszkowska - violin)

Lyrics – Olga Pruszkowska

Composition – Jarosław Pruszkowski

Studio arrangement – Mirosław Hoduń / Jarusław Pruszkowski

Live orchestration – Wiesław Pieregorólka

Conductor – Wiesław Pieregorólka

18th place (17 votes)

SLOVENIA

Song title – “Naj bogovi slišijo”

Rendition – Vili Resnik

Lyrics – Urša Vlašić

Composition – Matjaž Vlašić

Studio arrangement – Matjaž Vlašić / Sašo Fajon

(studio orchestra conducted by Mojmir Sepe)

Live orchestration – Sašo Fajon

"Conductor" – Mojmir Sepe

19th place (16 votes)

MACEDONIA

Song title – "Ne zori, zoro"

Rendition – Vlado Janevski

Lyrics – Vlado Janevski

Composition – Grigor Koprov

Studio arrangement – Valentino Skenderovski

Live orchestration – Valentino Skenderovski

Conductor – Aleksandar Džambazov

20th place (12 votes)

GREECE

Song title – “Mia krifi evaisthisia”

Rendition – Thalassa feat. Dionysia Karoki Georgopoulou

Lyrics – Giannis Valvis

Composition – Giannis Malachias

Studio arrangement – Vassilis Ginos

Live orchestration – none

Conductor – none

21st place (8 votes)

SLOVAKIA

Song title – “Modlitba”

Rendition – Katarína Hasprová

Lyrics – Anna Wepperyova

Composition – Gabriel Dušik

Studio arrangement – Peter Farnbauer / Igor Vavrda

(studio orchestra conducted by Vladimír Valovič)

Live orchestration – Igor Vavrda

Conductor – Vladimír Valovič

22nd place (6 votes)

ROMANIA

Song title – "Eu cred"

Rendition – Mălina Olinescu

Lyrics – Liliana Ştefan

Composition – Adrian Romcescu

Studio arrangement – Adrian Romcescu

Live orchestration – Adrian Romcescu

Conductor – Adrian Romcescu

23rd place (4 votes)

HUNGARY

Song title – “A holnap már nem lesz szomorú”

Rendition – Charlie

Lyrics – Atilla Horváth

Composition – István Lerch

Studio arrangement – István Lerch / Miklós Malek

Live orchestration – Miklós Malek

Conductor – Miklós Malek

24th place (3 votes)

FRANCE

Song title – "Où aller?"

Rendition – Marie-Line Marolany

Lyrics – Marie-Line Marolany

Composition – Moïse Crespy / Jean-Philippe Dary / Marie-Line Marolany / Micaël Sene

Studio arrangement – Moïse Crespy / Jean-Philippe Dary / Micaël Sene

Live orchestration – unknown

Conductor – Martin Koch (MD)

25th place (0 votes)

SWITZERLAND

Song title – “Lass' ihn”

Rendition – Gunvor Guggisberg

Lyrics – Gunvor Guggisberg

Composition – Gunvor Guggisberg / Egon Egemann

Studio arrangement – Egon Egemann

Live orchestration – none

Conductor – none