1957 NETHERLANDS EUROVISION SELECTION

Date - February 3, 1957

Official name - Nationaal Songfestival 1957

Organising broadcaster - NTS

Venue - AVRO Studios, Hilversum

Host - Karin Kraaykamp

Director - Ben Steggerda

Stage designer - unknown

Producer - Piet te Nuyl, Jnr.

Musical director - Dolf van der Linden

Orchestra - Metropole Orchestra (Metropole Orkest)

Concertmaster - Guus Valten

Interval act - Metropole Orchestra playing an instrumental tune

Number of entries - 8

Winning entry - 'Net als toen' Corry Brokken

Winning songwriters - Willy van Hemert / Guus Jansen

Winning orchestrator - Bert Paige

Note 1 - The audience having been invited to vote for their favourite by sending postcards, the result was announced in a programme on February 16th, 1957, with 'Net als toen' being nominated to represent the Netherlands at the 1957 Eurovision Song Contest in Frankfurt (Main).

Note 2 - Oddly, the studio version of 'Net als toen' is credited on the sleeve as having been recorded by the Ronnex Orkest in Antwerp under the direction of Louis Marshall. Comparing other recordings by this orchestra to 'Net als toen', though, one cannot help to notice the stark difference in sound and formation; in reality, the recording was done simply with the Metropole Orchestra itself under the direction of Dolf van der Linden.

One of the staff arrangers of the Metropole Orchestra in the 1950s and early 1960s, Johannes "Pi" Scheffer usually signed his scores with the acronym Π - as can be noticed here on the front page of the chart of his own composition for the 1957 National Song Contest, 'Ik weet nog goed'

PARTICIPATING ENTRIES

Song 1

Title – "Ik weet nog goed"

Rendition – Marcel Thielemans

Lyrics – Alexander Pola

Composition – Pi Scheffer

Studio arrangement – none

Live orchestration – Pi Scheffer

Score – 4th place (965 votes)

Song 2

Title – "De bromtol"

Rendition – Heya Sury (Heya Ruys)

Lyrics – Willy van Hemert

Composition – Melle Weersma

Studio arrangement – none

Live orchestration – Joop Elders

Score – 7th place (532 votes)

Song 3

Title – "Havana is zo ver"

Rendition – John de Mol

Lyrics – Jan Mol

Composition – Jan Mol

Studio arrangement – none

Live orchestration – Joop Elders

Score – 6th place (814 votes)

Song 4

Title – "Iwan (De messenwerper)"

Rendition – Corry Brokken

Lyrics – Alexander Pola

Composition – Pi Scheffer

Studio arrangement – Cor Steyn

(studio orchestra conducted by Cor Steyn) 

Live orchestration – Pi Scheffer

Score – 2nd place (4692 votes)

Song 5

Title – "Net als toen"

Rendition – Corry Brokken

Lyrics – Willy van Hemert

Composition – Guus Jansen, Snr.

Studio arrangement – Bert Paige

(studio orchestra conducted by Dolf van der Linden)

Live orchestration – Bert Paige

Score – 1st place (6927 votes)

Song 6

Title – "Simpe sampe sompe"

Rendition – Marcel Thielemans

Lyrics – John Steggerda

Composition – Johnny Steggerda

Studio arrangement – none

Live orchestration – Bert Paige

Score – 3rd place (2544 votes)

Song 7

Title – "Een liedje van niets (Chanson de rien)"

Rendition – Heya Sury (Heya Ruys)

Lyrics – Jelle de Vries

Composition – Jelle de Vries

Studio arrangement – none

Live orchestration – Joop Elders

Score – 8th place (140 votes)

Song 8

Title – "Hiep! Hiep! Hiep! Hoera!"

Rendition – John de Mol

Lyrics – Jan Mol

Composition – Jan Mol

Studio arrangement – none

Live orchestration – Pi Scheffer

Score – 5th place (819 votes)