Trivia

Worked a lot with Annie M.G. Schmidt.

Chose Henny Vrienten to be his follow-up for the music of "Sesamstraat" just before his death in 1999.

He wrote music for many songs by Wim Sonneveld, Wieteke Van Dort and especially Annie M.G. Schmidt.

In 2000, a documentary about Harry Bannink and his work was released on Dutch television.

He wrote music for many Dutch TV-shows, including Ja zuster, nee zuster, 't Schaep met de 5 poten, Sesamstraat, and De Stratemakeropzeeshow.

Bannink studied at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, receiving his degree in 1946.

He started his musical career in the late fifties, when he joined a small dance-orchestra as pianist.

In his birthplace Enschede, a theatre was named after him, as was a street in Amsterdam and Utrecht.

Together with Annie M.G. Schmidt he wrote several Dutch musicals. Later, he would also write the music for the funeral of Schmidt.

He wrote over 3,000 songs.