cryptic crossword

ACROSS

1 Big noise at university,

Oxford’s No. 5 rower (6)

5 Report from shed outside

Cheltenham? (8)

9 Practise act prior to lucky-dip

grab (3,4,4,2)

10 Church occasion? A bishop

and I may be entertained by ancient priest (8)

11 City house with French art

showing parrots (6)

12 Tricky situation – my tie’s

getting loosened (6)

14 Most flavoursome champagne substitute revealed in experiment (8)

16 Reserve card for a group of

readers (4,4)

19 Sheets for egg producers (6)

21 Grand guide, one exuding

enthusiasm (6)

23 & 7 Down Holy Land hit they’ve arranged for something festive to sing (3,5,3,3,3)

25 Process when spirit is released? I’d bet demonism is involved (13)

26 Appreciate loch in depiction

(8)

27 In harmony, lacking a yen to

be avaricious (6)

DOWN

2 Dramatic performance making one gasp in time? The opposite! (7)

3 Animal fashioned by clayworker without head (5)

4 Contribute to ding-dong and

stir the memory (4,1,4)

5 Christmas pudding maybe

with hair turning up (7)

6 Card that has a cutting edge

(5)

7 See 23 Across

8 Discern unhappy girl kept at

home (7)

13 ‘Cook me a steak’, husband

interjected. ‘Hurry up!’ (4,5)

15 Joining senior in chorus (9)

17 Group of believers manifesting Oedipus complex (4,3)

18 Container inverted over many

a pantomime character (7)

20 Like family members, very

happy after end of supper (7)

22 Plant that is trodden on by

sheep (5)

24 Having excessive girth, concealed by robe seemingly (5)