Solution to Harmony by Dysart

 Harmony by Dysart - Solution

Extra letters give THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES. Hidden in the grid are PYTHAGORAS, ARISTOTLE and KEPLER, all of whom have considered the theme. Also hidden is COLDPLAY, a musical group using the thematic title, centrally placed. The completion of 22 involved placing O in the central square to represent the sun as the centre of the universe, which the ancient Greeks knew about well before the time of Pythagoras.

Clue No.	Answer	Extra	Explanation
		Letter
1	Fire up		FI REP around U(s)
6	hoarse		two meanings
12	re-export		REPORT around EX
13	intersections		IN TERSSE CIONS around T
14	drip		D RIP
16	islet		IS LET
17	gunyah		GUN HAY<
18	driller		RILL in DER
19	patrol		PROL(e) around AT
20	desert		two meanings
21	mesh		M(e)E(t)S H
22	cop		The O represents the sun
25	lees		SEEL<
27	Arcady		A CAD in RY
31	alaaps		ALA A PS
33	stagers		STA(g)GERS
34	unseen		(s)UNSE(t) EN
35	notch		NOT CH
36	desk		DES K< ref. John Milton
37	retrospective		ORT< in RESPECTIVE
38	dyaliser		DIALS around Y E R
39	aristo		(P)ARIS (Saint-Mal)O around T
40	lentos		SOLENT*
Down
1	fridge	T	FRI D EG<
2	retinas	H	(E TRAINS)*
3	uproars	E	PRO in S(t)A(t)U(a)R(y)*
4	post hoc	M	POS + C around THO
5	dreidl	U	DREAD with I for A next to L
7	outlie	S	OU + T LIE
8	Ariels	I	L in ARIES
9	rootle	C	R TOO< LE
10	synaereses	O	S(chool) ANY< ERE S E(ight) S
11	exserts	F	EX SETS around R
15	Rupert Bear	T	PER in (RUB TEAR)
21	Masuria	H	M AS U AIR<
23	pluteal	E	U(sua)L PLATE*
24	manacle	S	MAN ((CAL(l))* E
26	epeeist	P	E PEE (TIS)*
28	canthi	H	CAN THI(n)
29	agoras	E	A O in (RAGS)*
30	detort	R	(TROT ED)<
31	ash-pit	E	PI in (c)ASH T
32	inkers	S	K in ((INER(t) S)