What Nonsense
T is not often that we have anything approaching real nonsense on the air. We have Arthur Askey and Tommy Handley and their ilk being funny and sometimes subtle, and always. careful not to go quite over the edge; and Cyril Fletcher (whose one desire is to remain anonymous), and people like Spike Jones who specialise in a kind of musical insanity which goes down very well with a public who are always glad to be reminded how sane they really are. But sheer verbal nonsense takes more
courage than any of these people show. Recently I have heard little to beat a 10-minute programme of Nonsense Ballads from 3YL, featuring the BBC Male Chorus with soloists, and the McGrowan Male Quartet. But even here it was the combination of verbal nonsense with outstanding musical artistry that made these numbers appeal. After all, the story of little Tommy who went fishing on Sunday would:soon pall for the most unsophisticated mind if delivered as an ordinary recitation. Many humorists have found that with skilful rendering (and, one must admit, judicious amendment) ditties usually confined to the nursery schools make an excellent stock-in-trade,
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 467, 4 June 1948, Page 9
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193What Nonsense New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 467, 4 June 1948, Page 9
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
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