Beaming with excitement, Finnish violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Pete Parkkonen entered a studio in Helsinki for their final rehearsals, before departing to Vienna, where they are tipped to win Eurovision.
Pointing to the mock-up stage where she would polish her stride in a shiny silver gown and steep high heels while intensely playing the strings of her antique 1781 Gagliano violin, Lampenius, 56, told AFP they would be practising "over and over."
kAm$>:=:?8 369:?5 2 A2:C @7 DEJ=:D9 8=2DD6D[ !2C<<@?6?[ be[ D2:5 96 H2D QDFA6C 6I4:E65Q E@ QD66 9@H E96 H@C=5VD 3:886DE %' D9@H :D 5@?6 2?5 36 2 A2CE @7 :EQ]k^Am
kAm(:E9 EH@ H66<D C6>2:?:?8 F?E:= E96 tFC@G:D:@? $@?8 r@?E6DE u:?2= @? |2J `e[ :?E6C?2E:@?2= 36EE:?8 D:E6D 8:G6 E96 }@C5:4 4@F?ECJ 2C@F?5 2 b_ A6C46?E 492?46 @7 H:??:?8[ 72C 29625 E96 @E96C 72G@FC:E6D s6?>2C<[ vC6646 2?5 uC2?46]Â k^Am
kAm(96? >66E:?8 pu![ E96 EH@ A6C7@C>6CD H6C6 C6=2I65 2?5 3F33=J \\ :? DE2C< 4@?EC2DE E@ E96:C 5C2>2E:4 2?5 :?E6?D6 DE286 A6CD@?2D]k^Am
kAmq=6?5:?8 4=2DD:42= G:@=:? H:E9 A@A 2?5 C@4<[ E96:C Qu=2>6E9C@H6CQ :D Q2 E9C66\>:?FE6 3FCDE @7 5C2>2Q @7 QG6CJ 9:89 >FD:42= BF2=:EJ[QÂ tFC@G:D:@? 6IA6CE p??2 |FFC:?6? E@=5 pu!]Â k^Am
k9am\ Vp 96=A:?8 92?5V \k^9am
kAmp DE@CJ 23@FE E96 762C @7 D9@H:?8 J@FC ECF6 D6=7[ E96 D@?8 H2D :?DA:C65 3J {2>A6?:FDV @H? A2DE 7C@> 367@C6 D96 >6E 96C 9FD32?5 >@C6 E92? a_ J62CD 28@]k^Am
kAmQpE E92EÂ E:>6[Â x H2D 3692G:?8 2 =:EE=6 3:E =:<6 E9:D 7=2>6E9C@H6C[Q D96 6IA=2:?65] Â k^Am
kAmQx =6E A6@A=6 72== :? =@G6 H:E9 >6 3FE E96? :7 E96J 8@E E@ <?@H >6 E@@ 4=@D6[ x 8@E D42C65[ 3642FD6 x H2D 27C2:5 E92E E92E A6CD@? H@F=5 =62G6 >6 H96? E96JÂ <?6HÂ >6 7@C C62=]QÂ k^Am
kAm!2C<<@?6?[ H9@ 2AA62CD @? DE286 2D 6?:8>2E:4 2?5 3C@@5:?8 H9:=6 =2>6?E:?8 9:D F?2?DH6C65 =@G6 ?6IE E@ 2 7=2>:?8 4@?76DD:@?2=[ 9@A65 E96 D@?8 H:== D6CG6 2D Q2 96=A:?8 92?5Q]Â k^Am
kAm%96 D@?8 :D 2? Q6I2>A=6 @7 H96C6 ?@E E@ 8@Q H9:=6 4@?G6J:?8 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 DA62<:?8 E@ 6249 @E96C 2?5 D9@H:?8 6>@E:@?D[ 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm{2>A6?:FD 2?5 !2C<<@?6? 925 ?@E >6E 367@C6 E96 AC@5F4E:@? @7 E96 D@?8 3FE E96 G:@=:?:DE C624965 @FE 27E6C D96 564:565 96 H@F=5 36 E96 A6C764E G@42=:DE E@ 244@>A2?J 96C]Â k^Am
kAmpD 2 4=2DD:42= G:@=:?:DE H9@ 3682? 96C 4@?46CE 42C66C 2E E96 286 @7 6:89E[ {2>A6?:FD :D 2=C625J :?E6C?2E:@?2==J 244=2:>65] Â k^Am
kAmx? u:?=2?5[ 96C AC:G2E6 =:76 92D 2=D@ C646:G65 >65:2 2EE6?E:@? @G6C E96 J62CD]k^Am
kAmQp?5 ?@H 96C6 H6 2C6[ =:76 :D 4C2KJ[Q D2:5 !2C<<@?6?[ H9@ 3642>6 72>@FD 27E6C 2AA62C:?8 :? E96 u:??:D9 C62=:EJ %' D9@H Qx5@=DQ :? a__g]k^Am
k9am\ {:G6 G:@=:? Â \k^9am
kAm{2>A6?:FD 92D C6BF6DE65 A6C>:DD:@? 7C@> @C82?:D6C tq& WtFC@A62? qC@2542DE:?8 &?:@?XÂ E@ A6C7@C> =:G6 H:E9 96C G:@=:? :? ':6??2[ 2D :?DECF>6?ED 762EFC65 @? DE286 2C6 EJA:42==J AC6\C64@C565]k^Am
kAmQ(6 5@?VE <?@H J6E[ D@ H6 H:== :?7@C> 6G6CJ@?6 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6Â H96? H6 86E E96Â 7:?2= 2?DH6C[Q D96 D2:5]Â Â k^Am
kAmu:?=2?5 92D @?=J 4=2:>65 E96 E@A 9@?@FC :? E96 4@>A6E:E:@? @?46 H96? 962GJ >6E2= 32?5 {@C5:VD >@?DE6C\E96>65 24E H@? E96 962CED @7 E96 2F5:6?46]k^Am
kAmw2G:?8 6?565 FA :? =2DE A=246 `` E:>6D[ 2 H:? QH@F=5 >62? 2 =@E]]] E@ E96Â u:??:D9 A6@A=6[Q {2>A6?:FD D2:5[ H9@ 96CD6=7 =:G6D :? $H656?]k^Am
kAmQx 8@E 8@@D63F>AD[Q D96 D2:5 H96? 2D<65 23@FE E96 D:8?:7:42?46 @7 2 H:?]Â k^Am
kAmxE H@F=5 2=D@ >2C< E96 7:CDE E:>6 2 D@?8 A6C7@C>65 :? u:??:D9 H@?[ tFC@G:D:@? 6IA6CE |FFC:?6? ?@E65]Â k^Am
kAmQu:?=2?5VD 4F=EFC2= F?:BF6?6DD 92D DF556?=J 364@>6 2 DEC6?8E9[Q D96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm%96 f_E9 65:E:@? @7 E96 tFC@G:D:@? @44FCD 2E 2 E:>6 H96? E96 6G6?E :D 724:?8 2 4C:D:D]k^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? `[___ 2CE:DED 92G6 FC865 2 3@J4@EE[ 2?5 D6G6C2= 4@F?EC:6D 92G6 AF==65 @FE :? AC@E6DE @G6C xDC26=VD A2CE:4:A2E:@?]k^Am
kAm~?=J bd 4@F?EC:6D H:== 36 4@>A6E:?8 7@C E96 E@A AC:K6 :? E96 pFDEC:2? 42A:E2=[ >2C<:?8 E96 D>2==6DE 65:E:@? :? C646?E J62CD]k^Am
kAm!2C<<@?6? 6IA=2:?65 E92E E96 5F@ 564:565 E@ E2<6 A2CE :? E96 tFC@G:D:@? QH:E9 9F>2?:EJ 2?5 >FD:4Q]Â k^Am
kAmQ~7 4@FCD6[ H6Â 5@?VEÂ H2?E A6@A=6 E@ DF776C[ 2== E96 49:=5C6?]]] :EVDÂ 2H7F=]]] 3FE H6 E9:?< @7 @FC >FD:4[ H6 H2?E E@ 4@??64E H:E9 A6@A=6 E9C@F89 =@G6 2?5 >FD:4[Q {2>A6?:FD D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm2?<^;==^A9K^2?6k^Am
