Wednesday 7 February 1979

1979 NETHERLANDS EUROVISION SELECTION

Date - February 7, 1979
Official name - Nationaal Songfestival 1979
Organising broadcaster - NOS
Venue - RAI Congrescentrum, Amsterdam
Host - Martine Bijl
Director - Ralph Inbar
Stage designer - Peter Gabriëlse
Producer - Hans Pohl
Selection committee - Guus Jansen, Snr. / Henk van der Molen / Harry Geelen / Arie Maasland "Malando" / Herman Schoonderwalt / Joop Stokkermans / Gerrit den Braber / Paul Natte / Dick van 't Sant
Musical director - Harry van Hoof
Orchestra - Metropole Orchestra (Metropole Orkest)
Concertmaster - Ernő Oláh
Opening tune - "Sailin' On The Robert E. Lee" (Eugene West / arr. Bert Paige)
Medley of all five entries arranged by - Harry van Hoof
Interval acts - Toots Thielemans performing an instrumental version of 'A ba ni bi' (Nurit Hirsh / arr. Carl Schulze) & Julio Iglesias performing three of his hit songs, all arranged by Carl Schulze: 'Quiero' (Rafael Ferro / Julio Iglesias / Eva Sobredo "Cecilia") - 'Manuela' (Ana Magdalena / Manuel Alejandro) - 'Eternally' (Charlie Chaplin)
Number of entries - 5, all performed by Xandra (Sandra Reemer & backing group)
Winning entry - 'Colorado'
Winning songwriters - Gerard Cox / Ferdi Bolland / Rob Bolland
Winning orchestrator - Piet Souer

Sandra Reemer with her Xandra backing group performing 'Intercity', one of the five songs in the 1979 national final in Amsterdam

PARTICIPATING ENTRIES

Song 1
Title – "Lieveling"
Lyrics – Gerard Cox
Composition – Ferdi Bolland / Rob Bolland
Studio arrangement – none
Live orchestration – Paul Natte
Score – 2nd place (109 votes)

Song 2
Title – "Lila lavendel"
Lyrics – Ilja Gort
Composition – Ilja Gort
Studio arrangement – none
Live orchestration – Herman Schoonderwalt
Score – 5th place (66 votes)

Song 3
Title – "Intercity (Jij en ik)"
Lyrics – Tineke Beishuizen
Composition – Marcel Lahaye
Studio arrangement – Dick Bakker
(studio orchestra conducted by Harry van Hoof)
Live orchestration – Dick Bakker
Score – 3rd place (104 votes)

Song 4
Title – "Waar ben je heen?"
Lyrics – Dick Ridder
Composition – Dick Ridder
Studio arrangement – none
Live orchestration – Harry van Hoof
Score – 4th place (68 votes)

Song 5
Title – "Colorado"
Lyrics – Gerard Cox
Composition – Ferdi Bolland / Rob Bolland
Studio arrangement – Piet Souer
(studio orchestra conducted by Harry van Hoof)
Live orchestration – Piet Souer
Score – 1st place (203 votes)