1996 EUROVISION SONG CONTEST

Edition number - 41

Date - May 18, 1996

Official name - EuroSong 96

Host broadcaster - NRK, Norway

Host city - Oslo

Venue - Oslo Spektrum

Hosts - Ingvild Bryn / Morten Harket

Director - Pål Veiglum 

Stage designer - Bjarte Ulfstesin

Executive producer - Odd Arvid Strømstad assisted by Eva Rutgerson Bie

Musical director - Frode Thingnæs

Orchestra - Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Kringkastingsorkesteret, KORK) with additional rhythm players led by Svein Dag Hauge and including Geir Langslet (synthesiser)

Music production - Svein Gundersen / Halldor Krogh

Music coordination - Egil Monn-Iversen

Opening sequence original music - Knut Reiersund / Paolo Vinaccia / Hans Fredrik Jacobsen

Postcards original music - Harald Rosenløw Eeg / Jan Inge Berentsen Anvik

Interval act - 'Beacon Burning' (film & ballet) composed by Egil Monn-Iversen and arranged & performed by Bukkene Bruse / Bendik Hoffseth / Helge Kjekshus / Mari Boine / Inge Juuso / Terje Rypdal / Torbjørg Aamlid Paus / The Brazz Brothers (choreography by Runar Borge)

Outro fanfare original music - Egil Monn-Iversen

Scrutineer - Christine Marchal-Ortiz

Number of entries - 23 (+ 7 eliminated in audio semi-final)

Winning entry - 'The Voice' Eimear Quinn

Winning songwriter - Brendan J. Graham

Winning orchestrators - Andy O'Callaghan

Winning conductor - Noel Kelehan

Conductor Noel Kelehan (far left, with Eimear Quinn, her backing group, and songwriter Brendan Graham) celebrating his fifth involvement in a Eurovision win for Ireland in sixteen years

RESULT

1st place (162 votes)

IRELAND

Song title – “The Voice”

Rendition – Eimear Quinn

Lyrics – Brendan J. Graham

Composition – Brendan J. Graham

Studio arrangement – Steve Willaert

Live orchestration – Andy O'Callaghan

Conductor – Noel Kelehan 

Score audio semi-final – 2nd place (198 votes)

2nd place (114 votes)

NORWAY

Song title – “I evighet”

Rendition – Elisabeth Andreassen

Lyrics – Torhild Nigar

Composition – Torhild Nigar

Studio arrangement – Rolf Graf

Live orchestration – Geir Langslet

Conductor – Frode Thingnæs (MD)

3rd place (100 votes)

SWEDEN

Song title – "Den vilda"

Rendition – One More Time 

(Nanne Grönvall / Peter Grönvall / Maria Rådsten)

Lyrics – Nanne Grönvall

Composition – Peter Grönvall

Studio arrangement – Ulf Söderberg 

Live orchestration – Hans Gardemar

Conductor – Anders Berglund

Score audio semi-final – 1st place (227 votes)

4th place (98 votes)

CROATIA

Song title – "Sveta ljubav"

Rendition – Maja Blagdan

Lyrics – Zrinko Tutić

Composition – Zrinko Tutić

Studio arrangement – Nikša Bratoš

Live orchestration – Nikša Bratoš

Conductor – Alan Bjelinski

Score audio semi-final – 19th place (30 votes)

5th place (94 votes)

ESTONIA

Song title – “Kaelakee hääl”

Rendition – Maarja-Liis Ilus & Ivo Linna

Lyrics – Kaari Sillamaa

Composition – Priit Pajusaar

Studio arrangement – Tõnu Kõrvits / Priit Pajusaar

(Orchestra of the Estonian Broadcasting Company conducted by Heiki Vahar)

Live orchestration – Tõnu Kõrvits

Conductor – Tarmo Leinatamm

Score audio semi-final – 5th place (106 votes)

6th place (92 votes)

PORTUGAL

Song title – “O meu coração não tem cor”

Rendition – Lúcia Moniz

Lyrics – José Fanha

Composition – Pedro Osório

Studio arrangement – Pedro Osório

Live orchestration – Pedro Osório

Conductor – Pedro Osório

Score audio semi-final – 18th place (32 votes)

7th place (78 votes)

NETHERLANDS

Song title – "De eerste keer"

Rendition – Maxine & Franklin Brown

Lyrics – Piet Souer

Composition – Piet Souer / Peter van Asten 

Studio arrangement – Piet Souer

Live orchestration – Piet Souer

Conductor – Dick Bakker

Score audio semi-final – 9th place (63 votes)

8th place (77 votes)

UNITED KINGDOM

Song title –"Just A Little Bit"

Rendition – Gina G (Gina Gardiner)

Lyrics – Steve Rodway / Simon Tauber

Composition – Steve Rodway / Simon Tauber

Studio arrangement – Steve Rodway

Live orchestration – Ernie Dunstall

Conductor – Ernie Dunstall

Score audio semi-final – 3rd place (153 votes)

9th place (72 votes)

CYPRUS

Song title – “Mono gia mas”

Rendition – Constantinos Christophorou

Lyrics – Radoulla Palambrianou

Composition – Andreas Georgiallis

Studio arrangement – Andreas Georgiallis

Live orchestration – Stavros Lantsias

Conductor – Stavros Lantsias

Score audio semi-final – 15th & 16th place (42 votes)

10th & 11th place (ex aequo, 68 votes)

MALTA

Song title – "In A Woman's Heart"

Rendition – Mariam Christine Borg

Lyrics – Alfred C. Sant

Composition – Paul Abela

Studio arrangement – Jürgen Blömke / Michael Buchner

Live orchestration – Paul Abela

Conductor – Paul Abela

Score audio semi-final – 4th place (138 votes)

AUSTRIA

Song title – “Weil's dr guat got”

Rendition – George Nussbaumer

Lyrics – Mischa W. Krausz / George Nussbaumer

Composition – Mischa W. Krausz / George Nussbaumer

Studio arrangement – Mischa W. Krausz / George Nussbaumer

Live orchestration – Mischa W. Krausz

Conductor – Mischa W. Krausz

Score audio semi-final – 6th place (80 votes)

12th place (57 votes)

TURKEY

Song title – "Besinçi mevsim"

Rendition – Şebnem Paker

Lyrics – Selma Çuhacı

Composition – Levent Çoker

Studio arrangement – Levent Çoker

Live orchestration – Levent Çoker

Conductor – Levent Çoker

Score audio semi-final – 7th place (69 votes)

13th place (51 votes)

ICELAND

Song title – "Sjúbidú"

Rendition – Anna Mjöll

Lyrics – Ólafur Gaukur Þórhalsson / Anna Mjöll Ólafsdottír

Composition – Ólafur Gaukur Þórhalsson / Anna Mjöll Ólafsdottír

Studio arrangement – Ólafur Gaukur Þórhalsson

Live orchestration – Ólafur Gaukur Þórhalsson

Conductor – Ólafur Gaukur Þórhalsson

Score audio semi-final – 10th place (59 votes)

14th place (36 votes)

GREECE

Song title – “Emis forame to chimona anixiatica”

Rendition – Marianna Efstratiou

Lyrics – Iro Trigoni

Composition – Costas Bigalis

Studio arrangement – Costas Bigalis

Live orchestration – Michael Rozakis

Conductor – Michael Rozakis

Score audio semi-final – 12th & 13th place (45 votes)

15th place (31 votes)

POLAND

Song title – “Chcę znaċ swój grzech”

Rendition – Kasia Kowalska

Lyrics – Kasia Kowalska

Composition – Robert Amirian

Studio arrangement – Wiesław Pieregorólka

Live orchestration – Wiesław Pieregorólka

Conductor – Wiesław Pieregorólka

Score audio semi-final – 15th & 16th place (42 votes)

16th & 17th place (ex aequo, 22 votes)

SWITZERLAND

Song title – “Mon cœur  l'aime”

Rendition – Kathy Leander

Lyrics – Régis Mounir

Composition – Régis Mounir

Studio arrangement – Régis Mounir

Live orchestration – Rui dos Reis

Conductor – Rui dos Reis

Score audio semi-final – 8th place (67 votes)

BELGIUM

Song title – “Liefde is een kaartspel”

Rendition – Lisa Del Bo

Lyrics – Siirak Brogden / Daniël Ditmar

Composition – John Terra

Studio arrangement – Giuseppe 'Pino' Marchese

Live orchestration – Giuseppe 'Pino' Marchese

Conductor – Bob Porter

Score audio semi-final – 12th & 13th place (45 votes)

18th place (19 votes)

SLOVAKIA

Song title – "Kým nás máš"

Rendition – Marcel Palonder

Lyrics – Jozef Urban

Composition – Juraj Burian

Studio arrangement – Juraj Burian

Live orchestration – Juraj Burian

Conductor – Juraj Burian

Score audio semi-final – 17th place (36 votes)

19th place (18 votes)

FRANCE

Song title – "Diwanit bugale"

Rendition – Dan Ar Braz & l’Héritage des Celtes (Karen Matheson / Elaine Morgan / Donald Shaw feat. Jean-Louis Henaff & Ronan le Bars)

Lyrics – Gweltaz Ar Fur / Dan Ar Braz

Composition – Dan Ar Braz

Studio arrangement – Dan Ar Braz

Live orchestration – Fiachra Trench

Conductor – Fiachra Trench

Score audio semi-final – 11th place (55 votes)

20th place (17 votes)

SPAIN

Song title – “¡Ay, qué deseo!”

Rendition – Antonio Carbonell

Lyrics – Ketama (Antonio Carbonell / José Miguel Carmona / Juan Carmona Amaya)

Composition – Ketama

Studio arrangement – Ketama

Live orchestration – Eduardo Leiva

Conductor – Eduardo Leiva

Score audio semi-final – 14th place (43 votes)

21st place (16 votes)

SLOVENIA

Song title – “Dan najlepših sanj”

Rendition – Regina

Lyrics – Aleksander Kogoj

Composition – Aleksander Kogoj

Studio arrangement – Jože Privšek

Live orchestration – Jože Privšek

Conductor – Jože Privšek

Score audio semi-final – 19th & 20th place (30 votes)

22nd place (13 votes)

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

Song title – "Za našu ljubav"

Rendition – Amila Glamočak

Lyrics – Adnan Bajramović / Aida Frljak

Composition – Adnan Bajramović / Sinan Alimanović

Studio arrangement – Sinan Alimanović

Live orchestration – Sinan Alimanović

Conductor – Sinan Alimanović

Score audio semi-final – 21st place (29 votes)

23rd place (9 votes)

FINLAND

Song title – "Niin kaunis on taivas"

Rendition – Jasmine 

Lyrics – Timo Niemi

Composition – Timo Niemi

Studio arrangement – Kari Litmanen 

Live orchestration – Olli Ahvenlahti

Conductor – Olli Ahvenlahti

Score audio semi-final – 22nd place (26 votes) 

Eliminated in audio semi-final

HUNGARY

Song title – “Fortuna”

Rendition – Gjon Delhusa 

Lyrics – Gjon Delhusa

Composition – Gjon Delhusa

Studio arrangement – Zoltán Galambos 

Live orchestration – none / unknown

Conductor – none / unknown

Score audio semi-final – 23rd place (26 votes) - eliminated 

UNITED GERMANY

Song title – “Blauer Planet”

Rendition – Leon (Jürgen Göbel)

Lyrics – Anna Rubach

Composition – Hanne Haller

Studio arrangement – Michael Ruff 

Live orchestration – none / unknown

Conductor – none / unknown

Score audio semi-final – 24th place (24 votes) 

DENMARK

Song title – “Kun med dig”

Rendition – Dorthe Andersen & Martin Loft

Lyrics – Keld Heick

Composition – Jascha Richter

Studio arrangement (Michael Learns To Rock version) – Michael Learns To Rock (Jascha Richter / Mikkel Lentz / Kåre Wanscher / Søren Madsen)

Live orchestration – unknown (possibly Frede Ewert)

Conductor (Danish final) – Frede Ewert

Score audio semi-final – 25th place (22 votes) - eliminated

MACEDONIA

Song title – "Samo ti"

Rendition – Caliopi

Lyrics – Caliopi Grill

Composition – Caliopi Grill

Studio arrangement (demo) – unknown

Live orchestration – Ljupčo Constantinov

Conductor (Macedonian final) – Aleksandar Džambazov

Score audio semi-final – 26th place (14 votes) - eliminated

RUSSIA

Song title – “Ja eto ja”

Rendition – Andrej Kosinski 

Lyrics – Nikolai Denisov / Andrej Kosinski

Composition – Nikolai Denisov / Andrej Kosinski

Studio arrangement – Andrej Kosinski

Live orchestration – Andrej Kosinski

Conductor – none / unknown

Score audio semi-final – 26th & 27th place (14 votes) 

ISRAEL

Song title – “Shalom olam”

Rendition – Galit Bell

Lyrics – Eyal Madan / Doran Vitenberg

Composition – Eyal Madan / Doran Vitenberg

Studio arrangement – unknown

Live orchestration – none / unknown

Conductor – none / unknown

Score audio semi-final – 28th place (12 votes) 

ROMANIA

Song title – “Rugă pentru (Pacea lumii)”

Rendition – Monica Anghel & Sincron 

Lyrics – Mirela Voiculescu Fugaru

Composition – Cornel Fugaru

Studio arrangement – Cornel Fugaru 

Live orchestration – none / unknown

Conductor – none / unknown

Score audio semi-final – 29th place (11 votes)