Wednesday, 11 March 1981

1981 NETHERLANDS EUROVISION SELECTION

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 

Lucy Steymel performing one of her two entries in the 1981 selection programme in Rotterdam

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)

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