Date - February 28, 1973
Official name - Nationaal Songfestival 1973
Organising broadcaster - AVRO
Venue - Theater Carré, Amsterdam
Hosts - Simon van Collem / Viola van Emmenes
Director - Nico Hiltrop
Stage designer - unknown
Producer - Fred Oster
Musical director - Harry van Hoof
Orchestra - Songfestivalorkest (freelance orchestra with rhythm and brass players, no string section / pre-recorded)
Opening sequence & outro tune - Harry van Hoof
Incidental music arrangements - Harry van Hoof / Carl Schulze
Number of entries - 4, all performed by Ben Cramer
Winning entry - 'De oude muzikant'
Winning songwriter - Pierre Kartner
Winning orchestrator - Harry van Hoof
Note 1 - For the first time in the Netherlands' Eurovision selection, the orchestra was not present live on stage; all music was pre-recorded by Harry van Hoof and his Songfestivalorkest
Note 2 - Song no. 2 in the competition, 'Melodie', was given as having been written by Ben Cramer - as well as on the single release. On the record version, however, the songwriters given for this song were Pierre Kartner (Cramer's producer) and Hans Blum. In reality - and this is information confirmed by those involved -, the song was originally written by Blum on his own, with Dutch lyrics being added later on by Ben Cramer. As a West German citizen - and not being a member of the Netherlands' Association of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers -, Hans Blum was not eligible to take part in the Netherlands' Eurovision selection
PARTICIPATING ENTRIES
Song 1
Title – "Kom met me mee"
Lyrics – Tiny van Mechelen
Composition – Jacob Philip "Clous" van Mechelen
Studio arrangement – Herman Schoonderwalt
Live orchestration – unknown
Score – 3rd place (15 votes)
Song 2
Title – "Melodie (Een melodie)"
Lyrics – Ben Cramer
Composition – Hans Blum
Studio arrangement – Harry van Hoof
Live orchestration – Harry van Hoof
Score – 4th place (14 votes)
Song 3
Title – "Kom Sylvia dans met mij"
Lyrics – Frans Peters
Composition – Jacques Zwart
Studio arrangement – Kees Bruyn
Live orchestration – unknown
Score – 2nd place (19 votes)
Song 4
Title – "De oude muzikant"
Lyrics – Pierre Kartner
Composition – Pierre Kartner
Studio arrangement – Harry van Hoof
Live orchestration – Harry van Hoof
Score – 1st place (62 votes)
