Seasons Greetings XV by Eclogue
At our local carol service, the South Upham Choral Society often live up to their acronym. Last year, their rendition of XYZ sounded more like ABC, the latter providing the otherwise unclued theme and variations indicated in the clues. Twenty-six clues generate an extra letter from their wordplay, which in clue order provide a line from XYZ. Once complete, solvers must draw three congruent, horizontally symmetrical C2s, which each pass through one of the YZ (totalling 4, 8 and 12 letters respectively, including one added definite article). To complete the tableau, all of the C2s should be filled and B shaded, each in one of two appropriate colours.
Across
1 VARIATION C1 (6)
5 THEMEWORD A (7)
11 Bore barrel before Christmas (6)
13 British types adopted by American glossary (6)
14 Local gilt once close to short officer (4)
15 Scottish terrier club at Troon? (4)
16 VARIATION A1 (4)
17 The Spanish old savings scheme is one derived from Aloysius? (6)
19 Turn round back of foot shortly moulding (4)
20 For starters, Kentucky energises rock group supplying containers of beer (4)
21 Support all others (4)
23 Regarding content of stale university rankings in China, primarily (4)
26 Dark Irish girl somewhat quirky, riant (4)
27 Seas met rocky Spanish plateau (6)
29 Streetcar getting practice in defunct system of logic (6)
31 Dry deme is transported and covered in earth in Fife (6)
32 Engineers not seeing clearly one switching compounds (6)
34 Poor foil produces inferior quality of sound (4)
37 Chief assembly rooms abutting cinema hall, principally (4)
38 Erstwhile faithful scatter (4)
41 Places preposterously remote indeed (4)
43 Type of weasel to bounce along in the Trossachs (4)
45 Crime writer, familiarly, hiding gun in expression of surprise (6)
47 VARIATION B1 (4)
48 Worthless Scots gold on beam (4)
49 VARIATION B2 (4)
50 Grass arrests yours truly for the police, say (6)
51 Northern resident has month on Lothian river current (6)
52 Sanction Rose roughly having pursued Blyton, for one (7)
53 THEMEWORD C (6)
Down
1 VARIATION A2 (4)
2 Queen Eleanor at first next to meadow weaver (6)
3 Inky stain kind of preventing slipping (8)
4 Arty set reformed rank (6)
5 Debauched roué, a bounder (4)
6 Oriental principles no good in backward state (5)
7 Infatuated feminine eye heartlessly follows female festival (7)
8 Lion climbing over lap briefly in variety entertainment (4)
9 Chamber orchestra’s area is rough in Glasgow (6)
10 Defensive measure out east with set of rules protecting academician (8)
12 Purveyor of nonsense to reproach on return (4)
18 Alphabetical order initially, with brief grimace, sorted (6)
22 The Erne, for example, having local water that runs over narrow valley (5)
24 Fiery horde moved against town at first (6)
25 VARIATION C2 (8)
28 Island nation having no welcome for PM cycling to lifeless area (8, two words)
30 Incomer left street vandalised (7)
33 Aim Bren foolishly towards childish character? (6, two words)
35 Large-jawed fish in the Faroes grind teeth (6)
36 Return of old relations to enthral children is secret plan (6)
39 Caledonian strips American thugs using rule of law primarily (5)
40 Springtime in Scotland bringing green back to the heart of Braemar (4)
42 One who procures women through sin? (4)
44 THEMEWORD B (4)
46 Prophet ensconced inside Medina mosque (4)
To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format describing the final grid, to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8th January 2024. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers.
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