It is very tough to predict the possible winner of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and the six countries that will qualify directly for the final next year.

The finalists were again on stage yesterday for a 30-minute rehearsal each. First to take the stage were the group Six4one who will represent Switzerland this year. Maltese singer Keith Camilleri will be on stage with this group. He is being accompanied by the former Maltasong chairperson, Ms Grace Borg.

We talked to Ms Grace Borg about Keith’s participation here and her feelings about the rehearsal by the Swiss team. She said that there is a very positive feeling in the Swiss camp. The singers were more confident on stage yesterday and the technical problems encountered on Monday with the microphone levels seem to be over.

Number 7 on stage yesterday was Fabrizio Faniello. The choreography by the four female dancers looked stronger on stage yesterday. We noticed that the male backing vocalist, Toni, was singing longer parts of the song together with Fabrizio and this is making the song sound even stronger than before.

One could also note groups of fans who were singing Another Summer Night during the pauses between Fabrizio’s rehearsals.

During yesterday’s press conference Fabrizio spared a few words for Aldo Spiteri, with whom he wrote I Do and also revealed that Aldo will be joining the Maltese team later this week.

Asked about his feelings after yesterday’s rehearsal, Faniello said, “It was great... amazing for all of us. We enjoyed it. We’re getting ready for Saturday to have fun on the night and to enjoy our music cause that’s what we’re here for.”

Alex Panayi, the artistic director of the Maltese entry said that he’s ready to put his bets on Malta this year! Coming from Alex Panayi, who was also in Elena Paparizou’s team last year for the winning entry from Greece, that means something.

At the end of the press conference, Fabrizio Faniello sang an a capella version of his popular Maltese song Sa l-ahhar, accompanied later on by Alex Panayi who sang the Greek version of it.

It’s good to point out that Alex Panayi was at the Malta International Song Festival a few years back and performed the Greek version of Fabrizio’s song. Alex Panayi remarked that, “Prophetically here I am again working with Fabrizio in Athens”.

Reading this year’s votes for Malta will be the popular Moira Delia who will have a lighter task when compared to the previous years. According to the new rules set by EBU – the producers of the Eurovision Song Contest – spokespersons will only read the 8, 10 and 12 points as the rest will appear on screen automatically.

What about the bookmakers? To our disappointment, Malta has slipped down to the 24th place out of the 37 entries competing this year.

Leading the way at the Bestbettings chart are Greece, Sweden, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Finland, followed closely by Belgium, UK and Germany.

And the fans’ favourites?

The fans’ favourites are changing by the day. A new addition to the list is the gothic-rock entry by the Finnish hard-rock group LORDI who will wear grotesque masks on the night during their performance of “Hard Rock Halleluyah”.

The performance which attracted the most media attention yesterday was the Norwegian fairy-like Christine Guldbrandsen who gives a flawless performance of her Alvendansen creating a truly magical atmosphere in the hall. This song looks and sounds as if it is something out from Tolkien’s trilogy Lord of the Rings.