The Crossword Centre

Harmony by Dysart

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Each down clue has an extra letter, to be removed when solving the clue (always leaving real words). The letters give a phrase with which one person hidden in the grid is closely associated. Two others who have pronounced on the theme are also hidden (25 letters in all). Solvers must highlight all of them. They must also highlight a hidden musical group (8 letters) that uses the thematic phrase as a title Solvers must complete 22 (unclued) by filling the blank cell with an appropriate letter to form a word.

5d is a variant spelling of a Chambers word, confirmed in ODE

Across

1    Class of racing with agent getting us initially to become enthusiastic (6, 2 words)

6    Rough bay, as reported (6)

12    Account involving examination to send away once more (8)

13    Smart snappy American shoots across the entry to the crossroads (13)

14    Had to censure a fool (4)

16    Small key remains obstructed (5)

17    Weapon on grass over in Aussie's shelter (6)

18    The German trench impedes miner (7)

19    Worker tipped to fence in policeman, say (6)

20    Leave wasteland (6)

21    Occasionally meets Henry for match (4)

25    The leftovers of blind sent back (4)

27    A rogue tracks treasures in Greek region as described by Sassoon (6)

31    Introductory musical sections in the style of a Psalm (6)

33    Surprises with retirement of group of old hands (7)

34    Without outlines, dark space is invisible (6)

35    A circuit with champion level (5)

36    King John’s read over writer’s support (4)

37    Local piece to be reviewed in relative's exhibition (13)

38    Medical equipment with controls set around variable base resistance (8)

39    City in France close to Saint-Malo with no parking housing tenor, one of the best (6)

40    Slow passages in choppy Solent (6)

Down

1    Two days stay flipping cooler (6)

2    Electronic trains shorted- they're sensitive to light (7)

3    Dines with expert in foreign statuary periodically (7)

4     Chambers seem inspiring though after the event (7, 2 words)

5     Buy alarm that’s current for area, line’s top (6)

7     Man from Eastern Cape, when given time to rest, camps on the odd occasion (6)

8    Stairs cut by length- number in flight? (6)

9     Crook extremely bowled over by the French grub (6)

10    Expulsions from head of school, with some going north before us, first of eight soon (10)

11    Executive overlooking apparatus getting fright - section bulges (7)

15    Smooth trip bringing person on board - a comic character (10, 2 words) 

21    Region of Poland with many lakes, a thousand, has uranium, and gas to the north (7)

23    Made what wraps usual plate of sea creatures (7)

24    Soldiers given brief call about electronic restraint (7)

26    One using blades wet, with tips damaged by earl (7)

28    Thin and mostly narrow angles (6)

29    American rages wildly, blocked by old assemblies (6)

30    Misrepresent dead communist, red revolutionary (6)

31    Hollow pie stuck in dough trimmed by the local (6)

32    Sprinters still short, with 70 kilometre stops (6)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format,  to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8th September 2024. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers