Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963
Encyclopedia
The Netherlands was represented by Annie Palmen
, with the song '"Een speeldoos
", at the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 23 March in London
. Palmen was chosen internally as the Dutch representative by broadcaster NTS
; she had previously taken part in the preselection in 1960
.
The 1963 Dutch selection is notable for the fact that the National Songfestival could not be broadcast due to industrial action, also that the title and lyrics of the winning song were changed twice before the Eurovision final.
on 23 January. However, a dispute between NTS and the members of its orchestra had led to the latter declaring strike action, so the broadcast of the final had to be abandoned. Instead, Palmen performed the three songs ("Kijk, daar is de zon", "Geen ander" and "Hoor je mij") for the jury alone and "Geen ander" was chosen as the winner.
Before the Eurovision final the lyrics and song title were changed, firstly to "Een droombeld", then again to "Een speeldoos".
and preceding Germany
. Voting was by each national jury awarding 5-4-3-2-1 points to their top five songs, and at the end of the evening "Een speeldoos" (along with the entries from Finland
, Norway
and Sweden
) had failed to pick up a single point, the third time the Netherlands had finished at the foot of the scoreboard. The Netherlands thus became the first country to score nul points twice, and in consecutive years. The Dutch jury awarded its 5 points to contest winners Denmark
.
Annie Palmen
Annie Palmen was a Dutch singer, best known for her participation in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest.- Early career :Palmen was born in IJmuiden...
, with the song '"Een speeldoos
Een Speeldoos
"Een speeldoos" was the Dutch entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963, performed in Dutch by Annie Palmen.The song describes the romance between a shepherd and a shepherdess - both of whom are figures on a music box. Palmen explains that, even when the music was played, the duo could not move...
", at the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 23 March in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Palmen was chosen internally as the Dutch representative by broadcaster NTS
Nederlandse Omroep Stichting
The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system...
; she had previously taken part in the preselection in 1960
Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960
The Netherlands was represented by Rudi Carrell, with the song '"Wat een geluk", at the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 29 March in London...
.
The 1963 Dutch selection is notable for the fact that the National Songfestival could not be broadcast due to industrial action, also that the title and lyrics of the winning song were changed twice before the Eurovision final.
Final
The national final was scheduled to take place at the Tivoli in UtrechtUtrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
on 23 January. However, a dispute between NTS and the members of its orchestra had led to the latter declaring strike action, so the broadcast of the final had to be abandoned. Instead, Palmen performed the three songs ("Kijk, daar is de zon", "Geen ander" and "Hoor je mij") for the jury alone and "Geen ander" was chosen as the winner.
Before the Eurovision final the lyrics and song title were changed, firstly to "Een droombeld", then again to "Een speeldoos".
At Eurovision
On the night of the final Palmen performed second in the running order, following the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and preceding Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Voting was by each national jury awarding 5-4-3-2-1 points to their top five songs, and at the end of the evening "Een speeldoos" (along with the entries from Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) had failed to pick up a single point, the third time the Netherlands had finished at the foot of the scoreboard. The Netherlands thus became the first country to score nul points twice, and in consecutive years. The Dutch jury awarded its 5 points to contest winners Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.