Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest - 1965

Melodifestivalen 1965 (known as the Svensk sångfinal) was the selection for the seventh song to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the sixth time that this system of picking a song had been used. Ingvar Wixell performed all of the songs. Eight songs were submitted to Sveriges Radio for the competition, of which two were turned down by Ingvar Wixell. The final was broadcast on Sveriges Radio TV and was held on February 13th at Djurgården in Stockholm, hosted by Birgitta Sandstedt. The winner was chosen by the votes of 11 regional juries.

For the first time, one singer sang all the songs in the national final, and Ingvar was also the first male singer to represent Sweden.

Results:

1. Annorstädes vals, 50 points
2. Stilla och tyst, 28 points
3. Förtrollad stad, 13 points
4. Kommer vår, 5 points
5. Varm i dej, 2 points
6. Väldigt vacker, 1 point

At the ESC Ingvar sung the English version of the song which was called Absent Friend.  It was the first ESC entry that was not performed in the country's native language. This led to the introduction from 1966 onwards of a rule stipulating that each country's entry must be sung in one of the languages of that country. This rule was cancelled for the years 1973 to 1977, reinstated in 1978, and cancelled again in 1999.

At the ESC in Naples Ingvar Wixell came 10th.

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Ingvar Wixell (May 7 1931 – October 8 2011) was a Swedish baritone who had an active international career in operas and concerts from 1955 to 2003.

Ingvar Wixell was born in Luleå in 1931. He made his debut at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm where he was member of the company until 1967.

He made his British debut during the Royal Swedish Opera's visit to Covent Garden in 1960 and in America he appeared at San Francisco Opera (Belcore, 1972) and the Metropolitan Opera.

He was engaged at the Deutsche Oper Berlin 1967 where he was a member for more than 30 years.

Among other roles, Ingvar Wixell sang Figaro in Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen, Amonasro in Verdi's Aida, Baron Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca, and the title roles in Verdi's Rigoletto, Simon Boccanegra, Mozart's Don Giovanni, Verdi's Falstaff and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin.

Ingvar Wixell ended his career in 2003 and died on October 8, 2011, aged 80.