Date - March 11, 1981
Official name - Nationaal Songfestival 1981
Organising broadcasters - AVRO & VARA
Venue - Zuidpleintheater, Rotterdam
Hosts - Fred Oster / Elles Berger
Director - Theo Ordeman
Stage designer - Mia Schlosser
Producer - John Schelfhout
Selection committee - Han van Essen (chairman) / Gerrit den Braber / Frits Spits / Ivo Niehe / Pieter Goemans / Ferry Wienneke / Dick van 't Sant / Meta de Vries
Musical director - Rogier van Otterloo
Orchestra - Metropole Orkest (Metropole Orchestra)
Concertmaster - Ernő Oláh
Music coordinator - Ferry Wienneke
Opening sequence - Rogier van Otterloo (composition & arrangement)
Number of entries - 10, performed by 5 acts (2 songs each)
Winning entry - 'Het is een wonder' Linda Williams
Winning songwriters - Cees de Wit / Bart van de Laar
Winning orchestrator - none
Note - Strikingly, all entries in this national final were accompanied by the Metropole Orchestra, except for Linda Williams' winning performance of 'Het is een wonder', for which all music had been pre-recorded on a backing track. Still, in the broadcasting service's library, an orchestration for the song can be found, dated March 11, 1981 and signed by John Mill (pseudonym of John Sluszny) - which leads to the question why it was not used. In the international final in Dublin, a tiny string arrangement written by Sluszny was played by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under the baton of Rogier van Otterloo
PARTICIPATING ENTRIES
Song 1
Title – "Nieuw begin (Een nieuw begin)"
Rendition – Lucy Steymel
Lyrics – Liselore Gerritsen
Composition – Dick Bakker
Studio arrangement – none
Live orchestration – Dick Bakker
Score – 5th & 6th place (ex aequo, 8 votes)
Song 2
Title – "Stap voor stap (One By One)"
Rendition – Lucy Steymel
Lyrics – Karel Hille
Composition – Piet Souer
Studio arrangement – Piet Souer
Live orchestration – Hans Hollestelle
Score – 5th & 6th place (ex aequo, 8 votes)
Song 3
Title – "Marionette"
Rendition – Maribelle
Lyrics – Alex Alberts
Composition – Frans Smit / Robert Verwey
Studio arrangement – Paul Natte
Live orchestration – Paul Natte
Score – 2nd place (27 votes)
Song 4
Title – "Fantasie"
Rendition – Maribelle
Lyrics – Ferdi Bolland / Rob Bolland
Composition – Ferdi Bolland / Rob Bolland
Studio arrangement – Paul Natte
Live orchestration – Paul Natte
Score – 3rd place (24 votes)
Song 5
Title – "Retour"
Rendition – Ben Cramer
Lyrics – Chris Pilgram
Composition – Chris Pilgram
Studio arrangement – Ferry Wienneke
Live orchestration – Ferry Wienneke
Score – 8th place (3 votes)
Song 6
Song title – "Marianne"
Rendition – Ben Cramer
Lyrics – Will Luikinga
Composition – Hans Vermeulen
Studio arrangement – Harry van Hoof
Live orchestration – Harry van Hoof
Score – 10th place (0 votes)
Song 7
Title – "Simsalabim"
Rendition – The Familee
Lyrics – Alex Alberts
Composition – Robert Verwey / Willem de Meijer / Frans Smit
Studio arrangement – Gerard Stellaard
Live orchestration – Gerard Stellaard
Score – 9th place (2 votes)
Song 8
Title – "Festival"
Rendition – The Familee
Lyrics – Gerard Stellaard
Composition – Gerard Stellaard
Studio arrangement – Gerard Stellaard
Live orchestration – Gerard Stellaard
Score – 4th place (9 votes)
Song 9
Title – "Het is een wonder"
Rendition – Linda Williams
Lyrics – Cees de Wit / Bart van de Laar
Composition – Cees de Wit
Studio arrangement – John Sluszny
Live orchestration – none
Score – 1st place (34 votes)
Song 10
Title – "Zo is het leven"
Rendition – Linda Williams
Lyrics – Cees de Wit / Bart van de Laar
Composition – Cees de Wit
Studio arrangement – John Sluszny
Live orchestration – John Sluszny "John Mill"
Score – 7th place (6 votes)
