After the Swiss won the inaugural Eurovision on home turf in Lugano, the contest moved to Frankfurt-im-Main in Germany. The initial idea of rotating the host between participating countries was abandoned after this for the model of the winning country hosting next year’s show.

Belgium’s first song in Dutch “Straatdeuntje” (Street Ditty), performed by Bobbejaan Schoepen, irritated me from the moment the singer started whistling at 10 seconds in. I have no particular objection to whistling in songs, but this felt way too self-conscious and “clever”. The tune itself sounds like something from a children’s program, which is hardly a recommendation in itself given the context.

Following up this disappointment, Luxembourg’s entry is a mostly forgettable ballad “Amours mortes (tant de peine)” (Faded loves [so much pain]) by Danièle Dupré. It doesn’t distinguish itself much from the 1956 entries in a similar vein. The music is mostly backdrop, and the lyrics don’t offer anything we haven’t heard before with their depiction of a woman mourning the end of a relationship.