Date - March 8, 1998
Official name - Nationaal Songfestival 1998
Organising broadcasters - NOS
Venue - RAI Congrescentrum, Amsterdam
Hosts - Linda de Mol / Paul de Leeuw
Director - Pim Marks
Stage designer - Hub Berkers
Producers - Piet Erkelens / Harry de Winter'
Expert jury - Willem van Beusekom (chairman) / Cor Bakker / Angela Groothuizen / Martin Buitenhuis / Sandra Reemer / Albert Verlinde / Ton de Zeeuw / Manuëla Kemp / Cornald Maas)
Musical director - Dick Bakker
Orchestra - Metropole Orkest (Metropole Orchestra)
Concertmaster - Arlia de Ruiter
Interval acts - Katrina & The Waves performing 'Love Shine A Light' with the Metropole Orchestra (arr. Don Airey) & Linda de Mol - Paul de Leeuw performing a medley of Eurovision winners (arr. Bert Paige / Onno Krijn / Gerbrand Westveen)
Number of entries - 8
Winning entry - 'Hemel en aarde' Edsilia Rombley
Winning songwriters - Eric van Tijn / Jochem Fluitsma
Winning orchestrator - Gerbrand Westveen
Note - Frédérique Spigt chose to perform her song to a full backing track - and, in the course of the rehearsals, producers Henk Temming and John Ewbank also notified the organisation that they preferred not to work with the orchestra; as such, 'Mijn wens voor 2000' (song 1) and 'Alsof je bij me bent' (song 7) were performed to a backing track - very strange, given that both songs were very orchestral. This was particularly painful for conductor Dick Bakker, given that the orchestration to song 7 had been penned by his own son, Tom. Therefore, during Nurlaila Karim's performance of the song, he pretended to conduct his orchestra, which had been put in the dark
PARTICIPATING ENTRIES
Song 1
Title – "Mijn wens voor 2000"
Rendition – Sylvia Samson
Lyrics – Jan de Roos
Composition – Henk Temming
Studio arrangement – Gerbrand Westveen
Live orchestration – Gerbrand Westveen (cp. note above)
Score – 7th place (38 votes)
Song 2
Title – "Mijn hart kan dat niet aan"
Rendition – Frédérique Spigt
Lyrics – Huub van der Lubbe
Composition – Leo van de Ketterij
Studio arrangement – Paul Prenen
Live orchestration – none
Score – 3rd place (70 votes)
Song 3
Title – "Hou me nou maar vast (Honderdduizend woorden)"
Rendition – Marco Marlé
Lyrics – Paul van Schooten
Composition – Theo Nabuurs / Ramon Roelofs
Studio arrangement – Theo Nabuurs / Ramon Roelofs / Paul van Schooten
Live orchestration – Henk Huizinga
Score – 8th place (29 votes)
Song 4
Title – "Over ('t Is over)"
Rendition – Lone van Roosendaal / Ryan van den Akker
Lyrics – Edwin de Jongh
Composition – Fons Merkies / Hans Ravestein / Jack Pisters
Studio arrangement – Fons Merkies / Hans Ravestein / Jack Pisters
Live orchestration – Edwin Schimscheimer
Score – 5th place (48 votes)
Song 5
Title – "Hemel en aarde"
Rendition – Edsilia Rombley
Lyrics – Eric van Tijn / Jochem Fluitsma
Composition – Eric van Tijn / Jochem Fluitsma
Studio arrangement – Eric van Tijn / Jochem Fluitsma / Gerbrand Westveen
Live orchestration – Gerbrand Westveen
Score – 1st place (138 votes)
Song 6
Song title – "Ze kwamen overzee"
Rendition – Nubia (Louisa Baegen / Ewan Mack / Waldin Roes / Astrid Akse / Lesly Lynch / Brenda Frans)
Lyrics – Ad van Olm
Composition – Ad van Olm
Studio arrangement – Ad van Olm
Live orchestration – Paul Natte
Score – 4th place (65 votes)
Song 7
Title – "Alsof je bij me bent"
Rendition – Nurlaila Karim
Lyrics – John Ewbank
Composition – John Ewbank
Studio arrangement – Tom Bakker
Live orchestration – Tom Bakker (cp. note above)
Score – 2nd place (84 votes)
Song 8
Title – "Zintuigen"
Rendition – Claudia Nelson
Lyrics – Sjon Looy
Composition – Harto Soemodihardjo / Derick Stadwijk
Studio arrangement – Harto Soemodihardjo / Derick Stadwijk
Live orchestration – unknown (probably Hans Jansen)
Score – 6th place (40 votes)
