Norway won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1995 with Secret Garden’s instrumental-led song “Nocturne.”
The 1995 contest was staged in Dublin, Ireland, after Ireland had won in 1994. Secret Garden represented Norway with “Nocturne,” a composition that prominently featured violin and included only a small amount of sung text. The performance stood out from the contest’s more conventional vocal entries.
Norway won with 148 points, finishing ahead of Spain and Sweden. The song was composed by Rolf Løvland, who had also written Norway’s 1985 winner, “La det swinge.” Fionnuala Sherry played violin as part of Secret Garden’s winning performance.
“Nocturne” is often remembered as an unusual Eurovision winner because of its limited lyrics. It was not entirely instrumental, however: Eurovision rules required a vocal component, and the song included a brief sung passage.