Seasons Greetings XII by Eclogue



The solutions to 21 normal clues will initially leave empty cells.  The wordplay in the remaining 32 clues renders an extra letter; in the given order, these provide key words from a line to a song along with the composer.  Solvers must complete the empty cells using the song, leaving real words or proper nouns (including an abbreviation) which, in turn, define the 13 cells in two straight lines which must be highlighted. Enumerations show space available in the grid.

Across

1 Grief once spread around (6)
5 The enemy in utter retreat (7)
11 Fashion designer, one chap taken in by preposterous knight (6)
13 In Scotland, poor queen is more modest (5)
14 Bells can upset Auntie’s former petrolhead (7)
15 Parrots group together on rocky height (6)
17 In Ibrox, expressions of weariness he applied to most of game (5)
18 Sudden influx for Jock to run and plant (6)
21 Dodged team blocking one initially vigorous force (7)
24 Shakespearean lieutenant endlessly threw IOUs away (6)
25 Unhappy crises for grasses (5)
27 Murphy, say, an ingredient of vindaloos? (5)
28 Part of nerve cell Jonathan’s cut in advance (5)
32 Italian suit adorned African (5)
34 Beaver class before, once (6)
36 Moving endless francs, getting skinned? (7)
37 Swordfish settled in stormy sea (6)
38 Titch locally, perhaps, will provide old Italian coin (5)
44 Can Tory play big-nosed character, say? (6)
45 Puzzles coaches covering old record company (7)
46 Curved blade ruining rink outside this country (5)
47 I see vagrant cuddling small dog worn-out in Paris (6)
48 Petty quarrel leads to sharp policeman arresting thief (7)
49 Register engineers on active duty (6)
Down

1 Hypocrisy to follow assurance and independence as in the French Church (8)
2 Warning signals in rooms without compliance (6)
3 Noise Abatement Society was not old-fashioned (4)
4 Gathers harvest for poet’s lodging-houses (4)
5 Will’s to augment one chapter (4)
6 Glaswegian’s one that’s meanest at heart (4)
7 Endlessly jerk muscle casually (4)
8 American behind greeting in exotic suite (6)
9 Some reformed and married as Rex called? (6)
10 Slipped ferret down couches (5)
12 Registration number entirely within in terms of ruling (6)
16 Source of inspiration having nothing for pop fan, say? (4)
19 Saint lives over models (5)
20 That lot having no time to wash (5)
21 Like desert air moving by day? (5)
22 An old screw in place of depravity (5)
23 Scots drive into large South American plants (5)
26 Grain used is shaken, not stirred (8)
29 Old trembling trees in whatever degree retaining vital juice (4)
30 Poles taking in the French in abundance (6)
31 Refined woman to block conceited youth and behave unco-operatively (6, two words)
33 Sister about right to remove from vehicle (6)
35 Wee cup of brew is served up in the south-east (6)
36 Fellow no longer cares for old Scottish tenors (5)
39 Learning establishment situated within municipal environs (4)
40 Spurious God? (4)
41 Tanker initially seen on blue ocean (4)
42 Letter featured in spelling group? (4)
43 Match official briefly holding stumps?  Vice versa (4)
To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format including the highlighted entries to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8th January 2021. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers.