With this, you'll score tonight
The chance that you will turn on the Song Festival tomorrow seems quite present to me. ‘Our’ Duncan (I have completely and utterly wavered) from Duncan Who? to Our Duncan) will sing tomorrow, the spectacle has begun. And with these facts, you will impress, so here we go. Duncan Who?
to Our Duncan) will sing tomorrow, the spectacle has begun. And with these facts, you will impress, so here we go.
1. We started off fabulously
The Song Festival started in 1956 (and is the longest-running annual singing contest) and who won in 1957? Bam, the Netherlands. Corry Brokken with ‘Net als Toen’. And then, in 1959? Kaboom: us again. Teddy Scholten with ‘Een Beetje’. Lenny Kuhr put us back in the spotlight in 1969. Although I must make the very annoying note that Lenny had to share first place with three other countries. There were four winners that year. Our most famous victory is probably Teach In with ‘Ding-A-Dong’. Are you starting to sing the song now too?
2. Back then we didn’t participate
Twice the Netherlands skipped out. May 4th (Remembrance Day) didn’t seem like a fitting moment to stand on a stage with feathers and hoops and swaying skirts.
3. The Irish are the best, olé olé
They won seven times, with Johnny Logan truly deserving three deep bows. He won twice as a singer and once as a songwriter of the song ‘Why Me?’.
4. Norway has other qualities
They often finished at the bottom of the list, eleven times to be exact. They have won three times though, so I already regret my sarcastic subheading. Just like ‘Duncan Who?’ by the way.
5. Hooray for ABBA
They are by far the most successful winners ever of the festival. It opened the doors to great international success. I think this is also the reason why world-class singers (Anouk, Waylon, Ilse DeLange, Trijntje) are tempted by this spectacle. Participating can’t really hurt and there’s a chance the world will fall in love with you.
6. I really didn’t know that
That ‘Volare’ (you’re probably going to sing ‘Nel blu, dipinto di blu’ now, aren’t you?) was a Song Festival song. For me, perhaps the best Song Festival song ever.
7. The recidivist
The German songwriter Ralph Siegel is a true Song Festival recidivist. He wrote 21 songs for the festival and what a pop the champagne must have made when his song ‘Ein Bisschen Frieden’ (remember?) won.
8. Our seven lean years
From 2005 to 2012, the Netherlands was really in its lean years, because during that entire period we didn’t reach the final even once. But, you would say that 2019 is the last year of our fat period and that can only be celebrated in one way… So Duncan, you know what you have to do, boy.
9. A bow for these people
I almost get sentimental as I go through the list of names of people who have represented us. Rudi Carrell, Saskia & Serge, Corry Brokken, Anneke Grönloh, Conny Vandenbos, Lenny Kuhr, Maggie MacNeal; what a delightful walk down memory lane. We found all sorts of things (because that seems to be typical of the Song Festival; someone has the courage to go and we find all sorts of things), but it has also produced lovely songs. So thank you and Duncan, toitoitoi.
