Harry Bannink

Prolific composer, arranger and pianist Harry Bannink (1929-1999) composed music for theater, television, radio and educational programs. From the beginning he was also the head musician for all the Dutch Sesamstraat songs.

Bannink composed at home, interpreting the lyrics as written by the 'schrijverskollektief' (Willem Wilmink, Hans Dorrestijn, Karel Eykman, Ries Moonen, Fetze Pijlman and Jan Riem) in the beginning and a slew of others in the later years. He and a group of regular session musicians recorded the music at the MC Studios (Hans Aalbers Recordings, as of 1991). The Sesamstraat performers added their vocals at a later time, often with guidance of Bannink. Bannink enjoyed the challenge of putting music to arrhythmic poetry, often using different time signatures in the same song.

In 1994 Bannink chose Henny Vrienten to be his replacement, as he was getting older. Not wanting to leave right away he and Vrienten formed a kind of apprenticeship, working together in the beginning and later dividing the work 50/50. Bannink died unexpectedly of heart failure in October 1999.

On December 23, 1999, the characters of the show went to the Paradiso in Amsterdam, and performed in front of a live audience with notable Dutch singers. Songs performed were, next to the translated Sesame Street classics, composed by Harry Bannink and Henny Vrienten.

Despite having written over 3500 songs, Bannink did not regard himself as a composer. He instead called himself a 'toonzetter'; someone who puts fitting music to lyrics.