Nocturne (Secret Garden song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Nocturne

| cover = Nocturne_(Secret_Garden_song).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| language = Norwegian

| B-side = Nocturne (English version)

| artist = Secret Garden

| album = Songs from a Secret Garden

| released = 1995

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length =

| label =

| composer = Rolf Løvland

| lyricist = {{ill|Petter Skavlan|no}}

| producer =

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{Infobox song contest entry | embed=yes

| song = {{flagicon|Norway}} "Nocturne"

| year = 1995

| country = Norway

| artist = {{hlist|Fionnuala Sherry|Rolf Løvland}}

| as = Secret Garden

| with = {{hlist|{{ill|Gunnhild Tvinnereim|no}}|Åsa Jinder|Hans Fredrik Jacobsen}}

| language = Norwegian

| languages =

| composer = Rolf Løvland

| lyricist = Petter Skavlan

| conductor = Geir Langslet

| place = 1st

| points = 148

| prev = Duett

| prev_link = Duett (Rolf Løvland song)

| next = I evighet

| next_link = I evighet

}}

{{External music video|header=Official performance video|{{YouTube|u-gA0aU-d88|"Nocturne"}}}}

}}

"Nocturne" is a song recorded by Irish-Norwegian duo Secret Garden –Fionnuala Sherry and Rolf Løvland– with music composed by Løvland and lyrics written by {{ill|Petter Skavlan|no}}. It {{esccnty|Norway|t=represented Norway}} in the Eurovision Song Contest 1995 held in Dublin, resulting in the country's second win at the contest.

For their performance at the contest, they featured three guest musicians: Norwegian vocalist {{Ill|Gunnhild Tvinnereim|no}}, Hans Fredrik Jacobsen on penny whistle, and Swedish nyckelharpist Åsa Jinder.

Background

= Conception =

"Nocturne" was composed by Rolf Løvland with lyrics by {{ill|Petter Skavlan|no}}. The song is noted for its almost complete absence of lyrics {{Emdash}} with only 24 words being sung in the original Norwegian version and much of the rest of the song being given over to a violin intermezzo. Duo Secret Garden –Fionnuala Sherry and Løvland– recorded the song in Norwegian and English. {{Cite web |title=Nocturne - lyrics|url=http://www.diggiloo.net/?1995no|website=The Diggiloo Thrush}}

=Eurovision=

On 1 April 1995, "Nocturne" performed by Secret Garden competed in {{esccnty|Norway|y=1995|t=that year's edition}} of the Melodi Grand Prix, the national final organised by Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK) to select its song and performer for the {{escyr|1995||40th edition}} of the Eurovision Song Contest. The song won the competition so it became the {{esccnty|Norway|t=Norwegian entrant}} for Eurovision.{{cite web|url=http://natfinals.50webs.com/90s_00s/Norway1995.html|title=National finals: Norway 1995|website=ESC National Finals database}}

On 13 May 1995, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Point Theatre in Dublin hosted by {{lang|ga|Radio Telefís Éireann|i=unset}} (RTÉ), and broadcast live throughout the continent. Secret Garden performed "Nocturne" in Norwegian fifth on the night, following {{esccnty|Bosnia and Herzegovina|y=1995}}'s "Dvadeset prvi vijek" by Davorin Popović and preceding {{esccnty|Russia|y=1995}}'s "Kolibelnaya dlya vulkana" by Philip Kirkorov. Secret Garden was accompanied on stage by three guest musicians: Norwegian vocalist {{Ill|Gunnhild Tvinnereim|no}}, Hans Fredrik Jacobsen on penny whistle, and Swedish nyckelharpist Åsa Jinder. Geir Langslet conducted the event's live orchestra in their performance.{{Cite episode|title=Eurovision Song Contest 1995|episode-link=Eurovision Song Contest 1995|series=Eurovision Song Contest|series-link=Eurovision Song Contest|network=RTÉ / EBU|date=13 May 1995}}

At the close of voting, it had received 148 points, placing first in a field of twenty-three, and winning the contest.{{cite web|url=https://eurovision.tv/event/Dublin-1995/final|title=Official Eurovision Song Contest 1995 scoreboard|website=Eurovision Song Contest}} This victory represented the second win for Norway, after winning the {{escyr|1985||1985 contest}} with "La det swinge" by Bobbysocks!, and for composer Rolf Løvland, who had also composed that song. Additionally, it represented the first time in four years that {{esccnty|Ireland}} had not won the contest –although Sherry herself is Irish–, thus bringing to an end the only hat-trick of victories in Eurovision history. Ireland would go on to win the following Contest, achieving the feat of four victories in five years.

The song was succeeded as winner in {{escyr|1996}} by "The Voice" performed by Eimear Quinn representing {{esccnty|Ireland|y=1995}}. It was succeeded as Norwegian representative that year by "I evighet" by Elisabeth Andreassen.

= Aftermath =

As Norway had previously won the contest in 1985, the second victory allowed the tongue-in-cheek tradition to emerge that Norway could only win in years ending with a five, a joke referred to by the members of Bobbysocks! at the Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest special on 25 October 2005, Norway having entered "In My Dreams" that year and not achieved victory.{{Cite episode|title=Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest|episode-link=Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest|series=Eurovision Song Contest|series-link=Eurovision Song Contest|network=DR / EBU|date=22 October 2005}}

While no other winning song in the contest has featured so few words, {{esccnty|Finland|y=1998}} would go on to place 15th in the {{escyr|1998||1998 contest}} with "Aava", which contains only six words repeated throughout the song.{{Cite web |title=Aava - lyrics|url=http://www.diggiloo.net/?1998fi|website=The Diggiloo Thrush}} The previous holder of the record of shortest lyrics in Eurovision history was Belgium and their {{escyr|1983}} entry "Rendez-vous", with a total of 11 words.{{Cite web |title=Rendez-vous - lyrics|url=http://www.diggiloo.net/?1983be|website=The Diggiloo Thrush}}

Releases

"Nocturne" was not released as a single in Norway; instead, it was released in the rest of Europe and Scandinavia. "Nocturne" is included in Secret Garden's first album, Songs from a Secret Garden. Their 2007 album Inside I'm Singing includes a new version.

Critical reception

Music & Media said that "Nocturne not only meant a victory of music over fast food, but also held an unprecedented first of an essentially instrumental song."{{cite magazine|first= |last= |title= New Releases: Albums |magazine= Music & Media |date= 10 June 1995 |page= 6 |accessdate= 18 May 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1995/MM-1995-06-10.pdf}} Alan Jones from Music Week wrote, "It is a haunting, pastoral piece, owing more to the Gaelic culture of lone violinist Fionnuala Sherry than to Nordic music. With so little in the way of vocals, it barely qualifies as a song. After the initial twenty seconds, the singer lapses into silence for another two minutes, returning only for fifteen seconds at the end."{{cite magazine|first= |last= |title= Talking Music |magazine= Music Week |date= 27 May 1995 |page= 38 |accessdate= 9 May 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1995/Music-Week-1995-05-27.pdf}}

Commercial performance

The song reached number six in Flanders, number seven in Ireland, number 20 in the Netherlands, number 24 in Wallonia and number 26 in Sweden. In the United Kingdom, the single was released on 2 October 1995 and reached number 90 on the UK Singles Chart the same month.{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=61|date=30 September 1995}}

=Weekly charts=

scope="row"\| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1995/MM-1995-07-22.pdf\|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles\|magazine=Music & Media\|volume=12\|issue=29\|page=12\|date=22 July 1995\|access-date=9 April 2018}} \|align="center"\|54
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" ! scope="col"\| Chart (1995) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
{{single chart\|Flanders\|6\|artist=Secret Garden\|song=Nocturne\|refname="fla"\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Wallonia\|24\|artist=Secret Garden\|song=Nocturne\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Ireland2\|7\|artist=Secret Garden\|access-date=6 January 2023\|refname="ire"\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|13\|artist=Secret Garden\|song=Nocturne\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|20\|artist=Secret Garden\|song=Nocturne\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Sweden\|26\|artist=Secret Garden\|song=Nocturne\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|UK\|90\|date=19951014\|access-date=19 June 2023\|refname="uk"\|rowheader=true}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col"| Chart (1995)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1995|title=Jaaroverzichten 1995|publisher=Ultratop|language=nl|access-date=4 December 2019}}

|align="center"|35

scope="row"| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=https://www.top40web.nl/jaarlijsten/jr1995.html|title=Jaarlijsten 1995|publisher=Stichting Nederlandse Top 40|language=nl|access-date=3 December 2019}}

|align="center"|167

Legacy

=Dusty Cowshit version=

The song was covered comedic and first released as a single by the country-inspired novelty band Dusty Cowshit, reaching number 16 on the Norwegian Singles Chart in 1996.

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col"| Chart (1996)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{single chart|Norway|13|artist=Døsty Cåwshit|song=Nocturne|refname="nor"|rowheader=true}}

= In other media =

"Nocturne" was used in several episodes of TVN soap opera Oro Verde.{{Cite web |url=http://larata.cl/canciones-que-siempre-quisiste-saber-como-se-llamaban-parte-3/ |title=Canciones que siempre quisiste saber cómo se llamaban, parte 3 - LaRata.cl |access-date=29 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930035717/http://larata.cl/canciones-que-siempre-quisiste-saber-como-se-llamaban-parte-3/ |archive-date=30 September 2017 |url-status=dead }}