Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956

Switzerland held a national pre-selection to choose the two songs that would go to the Eurovision Song Contest 1956. It was held on 28 April 1956.

Eurovision Song Contest 1956
Country  Switzerland
National selection
Selection processNational final
Selection date(s)28 April 1956
Selected entrantLys Assia
Selected song"Das alte Karussell"
and "Refrain"
Selected songwriter(s)"Das alte Karussell":

"Refrain":
Finals performance
Final result1st: "Refrain"
N/A: "Das alte Karussell"
Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest
1956 • 1957►

Before Eurovision

National final

The final was held in Lausanne on 28 April 1956 at 20:45 CET (19:45 UTC) and broadcast on DRS.[1] Fritz Schäufele commented the final for DRS.[1] The songs "Das alte Karussell" and "Refrains" reached the first two places, as the two entries which were sent to the Eurovision Song Contest, both performed by Lys Assia. The points and rankings of the other songs remain unknown.[2]

Final – 28 April 1956
Draw Artist Song
1 Jo Roland "Vendredi"
2 Lys Assia "Sei doch nicht so eifersüchtig"
3 Lys Assia and Quinteta Radiosa "Das alte Karussell"
4 Jo Roland "L'allée aux ormeaux"
5 Anita Traversi "Bandella ticinese"
6 Jo Roland "La ballade des bonnes années"
7 Lys Assia and Quinteta Radiosa "Le bohémien"
8 Jo Roland "Les deux coquins (L'argent et l'amour)"
9 Jo Roland "J'ai triché"
10 Lys Assia and Quinteta Radiosa "Addio bella napoli"
11 Lys Assia and Quinteta Radiosa "Refrains"

"Refrains" was co-written by Émile Gardaz and Géo Voumard, and "Das alte Karussell" was written in German and composed by Georg Benz Stahl.[3]

At Eurovision

1956 was the only year the Contest allowed two entries per country. For Eurovision, the "s" in "Refrains" was dropped from the title, and the song went on to win the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest. The result of "Das alte Karussell", as well as the scores and placings of the other songs including the points of "Refrain", weren't declared.

"Das alte Karussell" was performed second in the contest, following the Netherlands and preceding Belgium. "Refrain" performed ninth at the second round with the same order of countries. Both of the Swiss entries were conducted at the contest by the musical director Fernando Paggi. As Lys Assia represented Switzerland singing both songs, she is one of only two performers to do so in one Eurovision edition, alongside Michele Arnaud for Luxembourg this same year with two entries in French. With this, Switzerland as well as Assia, are the only country and performer with two songs in two different languages in Eurovision history.

Each country nominated two jury members who voted for their respective country by giving between one and ten points to each song, including those representing their own country.[4] All jury members were colocated in a separate room in the venue in Lugano and followed the contest via a television set.[5] One of the Swiss jury members was a Father Kaelin.[6]

References
  1. "Die Woche im Bildschirm". Gong (in German). No. 17/1956. 22 April 1956. p. 21. OCLC 1183386385.
  2. "SWISS NATIONAL FINAL 1956".
  3. "Géo Voumard, a Founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Agence France-Presse. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
  4. "Reglement du Grand Prix Eurovision 1956 de la Chanson Européenne (version définitive)" [Rules of the Grand Prix of the Eurovision Song Competition 1956 (final version)] (PDF) (in French). European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2016.
  5. Roxburgh, Gordon (2012). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. One: The 1950s and 1960s. Prestatyn, United Kingdom: Telos Publishing. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-84583-065-6.
  6. "60 milioni di persone guardovano a Lugano: A una romantica canzone della Svizzera francese il G. Premio Eurovisione 1956 della canzone europea" [60 million people watched Lugano: A romantic song from French-speaking Switzerland won the 1956 Eurovision Grand Prix for European song] (in Italian). Giornale del Popolo. p. 2. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
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