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| In 1956 the BBC held a competition during the year, the first Festival Of British Popular Songs. The final was staged on 22nd October, 1956. from the King's Theatre in Hammersmith, London. The programme was presented by Wilfrid Thomas. The winning song was Everybody Falls In Love With Someone, sung by Dennis Lotis and composed by Peter Hart and Norman Newell. (Recorded by Dickie Henderson & Matt Monro). Second placed song was Little Ship sung by Shirley Abicair and composed by Terry & Irene Roper. (Recorded by Julie Dawn and Jackie Lee). There were never any plans for the winning song to represent the United Kingdom in the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest, as that competition had been held earlier in the year on Thursday 24th May 1956. However, it was the Festival Of British Popular Songs format that would be used in 1957 to decide the United Kingdom's first ever entry into the Eurovision Song Contest. |
| Transmission Date (Final): | Monday 22nd October 1956 |
| Channel: | BBC Television |
| Time: | 21.15-22.15 |
| Venue (Final): | King's Theatre Hammersmith London |
Presenter: | Wilfrid Thomas |
| Musical Director: | George Melachrino |
| Orchestra: | The Concert Orchestra |
| Backing Vocals: | The George Mitchell Singers |
| Festival Music Directors: | Eric Robinson Stanley Black |
Producer: | Francis Essex |
| Designer: | Richard Henry |
Voting: | Viewers throughout the country were heard selecting each heat's winning entry |
Winning Song: | Everybody Falls In Love With Someone Dennis Lotis |
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PARTICIPANTS
| Heat: | Date: | Performers: | Musical Directors: | Musicians: |
| 01 | Monday 7th May 1956 21.15-22.00 | Dennis Hale Shirley Abicair The Bill McGuffie Quartet Bruce Trent The Kentones Alma Cogan Ronnie Hilton Kenny Baker Vanessa Lee | Eric Robinson Bill McGuffie | The Bill McGuffie Quartet The Concert Orchestra The George Mitchell Singers |
| 02 | Monday 4th June 1956 21.45-22.30 | The Keynotes Dennis Lotis Ronnie Carroll Semprini Marion Ryan Johnston Brothers Pamela Charles Laurie Payne Anne Shelton Pamela Charles & Laurie Payne | Semprini Stanley Black | The Concert Orchestra The George Mitchell Singers |
| 03 | Monday 2nd July 1956 21.00-21.45 | The Coronets Benny Lee Qunintet Carole Carr Max Jaffa Joan Bramhall The Coronets Billie Antthony John Hanson & Joan Bramhall John Hanson | George Melachrino Max Jaffa | The Concert Orchestra The George Mitchell Singers |
| 04 | Monday 30th July 1956 21.15-22.00 | The George Mitchell Singers The Four Grads Dora Bryan Johnny Brandon The Malcolm Lockyer Quartet Kathie Kay The Bill O'Connor Quartet Doreen Duke Alan Page | Eric Robinson Malcolm Lockyer | The Concert Orchestra The George Mitchell Singers |
| 05 | Monday 27th August 1956 21.15-22.00 | The Kentones Ormonde Douglas Dennis Hale Petula Clark Laurie Payne & Roxy Brown Janie Marden The Bill McGuffie Quartet The George Mitchell Singers Janie Marden & Ivan Bravard The Concert Orchestra | Stanley Black Bill McGuffie | The Concert Orchestra The George Mitchell Singers |
| 06 | Monday 24th September 1956 21.15-22.00 | The Coronets Lester Ferguson Jean Campbell Anne Shelton Frank Weir Tony Brent Lee Lawrence Alma Warren Anne Shelton | George Melachrino Frank Weir | The Frank Weir Quartet The Concert Orchestra The George Mitchell Singers |
| FINAL | Monday 22nd October 1956 21.15-22.15 | The Keynotes Dennis Lotis Ronnie Carroll Semprini Shirley Abicair The Bill McGuffie Quartet Laurie Payne Petula Clark Jean Campbell Lester Ferguson Carole Carr Max Jaffa | Eric Robinson Stanley Black George Melachrino Semprini Bill McGuffie Max Jaffa | The Concert Orchestra TheGeorge Mitchell Singers |
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AT THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 1956
| The United Kingdom was not represented at the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest, which took place at Teatro Kursaal in Lugano, Switzerland on Thursday 24th May 1956 beginning at 20.00 local time (21.00 UK time). BBC Television did show part of the event live from 21.45-22.30 with commentary by Wilfrid Thomas. |