Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 1957
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Denmark took part in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1957. The country was represented by Birthe Wilke and Gustav Winckler with the song “Skibet skal sejle i nat” written by Erik Fiehn and Poul Sørensen. Actually, Denmark wanted to take part in the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 but was disqualified because no entry was submitted right in time. The Danish entry was chosen during a national final called Dansk Melodi Grand Prix.
Contents |
[edit] Dansk Melodi Grand Prix
| The national final | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Dansk Melodi Grand Prix |
| Broadcaster: | DR |
| Venue: | Radiohuset studio 2, Copenhagen |
| Date: | February 17, 1957 |
| Time: | 20:20 CET |
| Number of contestants: | 2 |
| Number of songs: | 6 |
| Voting: | A jury selected the winning song. |
| Host(s): | |
| Volmer Sørensen | |
The first Danish Melodi Grand Prix was held in Copenhagen on February 17, 1957. The show was hosted by Volmer Sørensen. 117 songs had been submitted to the broadcaster and six of them were chosen for the national final. Two singers were competing in the selection - Birthe Wilke and Gustav Winckler. Both performed two songs as soloists and they also performed two songs as a duo. A jury of ten people selected the winner and only the top two were announced, which turned out to be the two duets. “Skibet skal sejle i nat” was the overall winner and should become Denmark's first entry in the Eurovision Song Contest.
[edit] Participants
| # | Singer | Song (Music/lyrics) |
Translation | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birthe Wilke & Gustav Winckler | Skibet skal sejle i nat (Erik Fiehn/Poul Sørensen ) |
The ship leaves tonight | 1st |
| 2 | Gustav Winckler | Længslernes veje (Eric Christiansen/Carl Andersen) |
The roads of longing | - |
| 3 | Gustav Winckler | Fata Morgana (Sophus Brandeholt/Sophus Brandeholt, Poul Christoffersen) |
Mirage | - |
| 4 | Birthe Wilke | Chanson ordinaire (Otto Francker) |
Ordinary song | - |
| 5 | Birthe Wilke | Hele verden venter på vår (Eric Christiansen/Anni Weimar) |
The whole world is waiting for spring | - |
| 6 | Birthe Wilke & Gustav Winckler | Kærlighedens cocktail (Otto Ligton/Carl Andersen) |
The cocktail of love | 2nd |
[edit] Releases
“Skibet skal sejle i nat” was recorded and released on a EP of the same title. The runner-up entry “Kærlighedens cocktail” was included on this record too[1]. After the contest, Gustav Winkler has recorded a German version of the song (“Das Schiff geht in See heute Nacht”) with Bibi Johns[2]. Winkler himself appeared as Gunnar Winkler on this record, the name under which he was popular in Germany in these days.
[edit] At Eurovision
Denmark was the first Scandinavian country in the competition. At the Eurovision Song Contest in Frankfurt, the Danish entry was visually one of the most impressive ones that year: to illustrate the content of the song, which is about a sailor who has to say goodbye to a woman he met and fell in love with during a shore leave[3], Winkler was dressed up as a sailor and Wilke as a woman standing at the harbour wearing a coat with a purse in her hand. Furthermore, a tar vat was brought on stage to create a harbour atmosphere. The Danish entry was performed ninth, which means second last, on the night following France with “La belle amour” and preceding Switzerland with “L'enfant que j'étais”. At the close of voting, Denmark had received ten points in total placing the country third among the ten participants. Denmark would remain the most successful debuting country in the Eurovision Song Contest until Poland finished second on its debut in 1994. However, Denmark has only received points from three of the other nine countries, most notably five points from the Netherlands.
[edit] Voting
Every country had a jury of ten people. Every jury member could give one point to his or her favourite song.
[edit] Points given
|
[edit] Points received
|
[edit] Sources
[edit] References
- ^ 1957 EUROVISION
- ^ Das Schiff geht in See heute Nacht (Skibet skal sejle i nat) - lyrics - Diggiloo Thrush
- ^ Skibet skal sejle i nat - lyrics - Diggiloo Thrush
|
||||||||
