Germany picks Glorious song as Eurovision entry

The Bavarian brass band LaBrassBanda came close to being picked, but was ultimately beaten by the dance band Cascada at the show in Hannover.

“I am unfeasibly happy, I cannot stop beaming,” said singer Natalie Horler. She will represent Germany at the May 18th show in Malmö, Sweden.

The 31-year-old is no debutant on television, having served on the jury of the casting show “Germany seeks a superstar”, and a veteran of the pop-dance scene having sold millions of songs over the last decade.

The candidates were varied, with the soul-ska style of Die Söhne Mannheims, albeit without star singer Xavier Naidoo, and the pop duo Nica & Joe as well as a choral number from Mocja Erdmann & Die Priester and the Swedish native Betty.

State broadcaster ARD changed the process of picking the entry after splitting from its previous partnership in all things Eurovision, ProSieben.

The Raab-steered casting show used to pick 2010 Eurovision winner Lena Meyer-Landrut and 2012 eighth-placed Roman Lob were ditched in favour of a complicated combination of radio audience, television audience and a five-member jury.

DAPD/The Local/hc