Competitions, Classical and Popular

[INAUDIBLE] some contests bring together the creme de lacreme of European performing art.Some are up and coming.Some of those are well-established,something particularly reflected in the entriesfrom Russia and Britain.The Russians have put their faith in six womenfrom the tiny village of Buranovoon the edge of the Ural Mountains.

Basing their numbers in a mixtureof the local language, Udmurt, English, and Russian.Sextets over time, farm workers and school teachers,aged between 43 and 76, performing costumes and bark

shoes that have been handed down over the years.While they may rehearse in the village hall,they are already used to bigger stages.Fame has taken them to France, Finland, Hungary, and Estonia.But they insist that their feet are still firmly on the ground.[SPEAKING UDMURT]We don't see ourselves as stars.

We just know we're grannies.Everybody says, stars, stars.And we find it funny.But we're not celebrities.We're just normal people who like to sing.As Russia tries its luck with the Babushki,five times winner, Britain, has also opted for experience.1960s crooner, Engelbert Humperdinck,will take on the best that Europe has to offer.

The 75-year-old has not had a Top 10 British singlefor 42 years.But he reckons his decades in show businesswill stand him in good stead.How am I going to tackle this performance?I'm going to tackle it with all the experience that I've had.And I'm going to tackle it with sincerity.

And it's all in the performance on the night.You know, it's in the performance.Song is great and it's up to the performerto put it over in the right way.Oh, and Nikki won it for Azerbaijan last year,striking a blow for the young, but with the Russian Granniesand Humperdinck in town, another triumph

for youth over experience is by no means guaranteed on Saturdaynight.