Clockwise round the grid from 31 run the titles of four works (6,3,5,7,5.1,5,7,8,5) associated with a 21 and 25A born 16 years ago. The twenty corner letters produce LIVELY ELEMENTAL ARIAS. Solvers must shade the three clued lights that combine to form the 21’s name (two words). Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe and two accents.
Across
8 Mirage, maybe of river, taking one in (5)
9 Ring from small belfry? (6)
10 Nameless quondam tamed adult antelope (7)
12 Almost primitive aristo (4)
14 Clare Short worked with many players (10)
15 Hint where dead old ox is buried in a crude way (8)
18 Reaction when bishop abandons minister’s case (5)
19 Plants actual canine chewed (7)
20 Range of revolver M carried (5)
23 Craft sailor’s first to back (3)
29 County squire with shares (5)
31 Lost island young skate circles (7)
32 Rampant mahonia not in US city (5)
34 Breaker of Commandment I thrash afterwards (8)
35 Biblical Book about less than vital bun (10, two words)
37 Look at piece of meat (4)
38 Low spirits of dwarf mostly in hell? (7)
39 Georgia twice starts to knock unusual eastern music (6)
40 Nippers cycling go very slowly (5)
Down
1 Depart no longer from Orkney bay (little depth therein) (4)
2 Educated primitive in eastern university nothing upset (6)
3 I agree anyone’s acceptable (7, two words)
4 Malicious bachelor’s left pining (5)
5 Split from party after short dance (7)
6 Once more disturb rare bat heartlessly (8)
7 Shrub? Destructive goddess is crushing my one (6)
11 Osborne climbing excellent tree (5)
13 Farm children worked on … (5)
17 … weeds around fish pond (4)
22 Smaug liked peeled fruit (4)
24 Party half ignored (5)
25 Room’s light brown after painter’s input (7)
26 Pretty little Liz embracing one not English (5)
27 Travelling without a pistol in Tombstone (3)
28 ...
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