George Florentzou: Best of the best in final of Pan-Laconian Singing Contest

A steamy love song euphemistically titled "The Sign" was chosen by George Flourentzou to woo the audience and clinch first prize in the final of the singing contest "The Pan-Laconian Society Has Talent" held during the regular Goat and Pasta evening on Friday 14 November.

That evening at the Pan-Laconian Family Centre, six finalists, the winners from both the first and the second rounds held in February 2012 and 2013 respectively, had been invited to each sing and be judged on a song of their choice.

Those invited from the first round, held during February 2012, were the first three placegetters:

• 1st Prize: Georgia Vlachos, from Karitsa, with the song "I was told by the nightingale"
• 2nd Prize: Dimos Kourlas, from Geraki, with " If Youth Could Come Back Twice"
• 3rd Prize: Argyris Piliouras, from Kosmas of Kynouria, with "My Flowering Violet"

In addition, the first three placegetters from the second round, held during February 2013, were also invited:

• 1st Prize: George Flourentzou, originally from Egypt, with the song "The Statue"
• 2nd Prize: Tasos Oikonomou, from Agious Anargyrous Saints, with "The junk dealer"
• 3rd Prize: Eleni Antoniou, Australian-born with origins from Karitsa, with the "I do not want such friends"

In the long anticipated final, before presenting the singers, the MCs, Joanna Pandos speaking in English and Dimitri Katsambis in Greek, took the opportunity to firstly acknowledge the efforts of the many people who had made this extraordinarily successful series possible. The Pan-Laconian committee and volunteers for their untiring efforts behind the scenes: preparing, cooking, presenting; the twenty contestants who bravely came forth in the first and second rounds; and, the band "Trio Zorba" for the accompanying music.

Αs in the first two rounds, the winners in the final were to be selected by balloting the audience. Once all finalists had performed, the audience was asked to consider carefully the skills of each singer and vote accordingly on the official voting slips provided. The voting slips were then collected for counting by a specially convened subcommittee.

The final results were announced by the special guest Ms Rachael McCaskill, Community Development Officer for the City of Marion who also presented awards to all finalists and prize winners.

• Georgea Vlachos was presented a finalist award for the singing of the traditional folk song "I thought it was dawning".
• Next Tasos Economou was also presented a finalist award for the serenade "I love you because you are beautiful".
• Argyris Piliouras as well was presented a finalist award for singing the demotic song "My flowering violet".

The finalist awards were followed by the awar­­­ds for the placegetters

• Dimos Kourlas collected the 3rd Prize, singing the legendary zeibekiko "The Mountain".
• Eleni Antoniou won the 2nd Prize with a rendition of one of the best-known Greek songs internationally, "Never on a Sunday".
• And finally, the winner, George Flourentzou made the 1st prize his, singing another love song, that euphemistically titled number "The Sign".

Let's applaud George! Acknowledge as well that along with him everyone on the night was a winner, most emphatically the audience, more than 250 overfilling the Pan-Laconian Family Centre, enjoying every bit of a wonderful night, on many occasions singing along with the finalists. As many remarked, one of the best events ever held by the Pan-Laconian Society.

Let there be more!