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Apex 2018 solution

The code phrase was KEYBOARD MUSIC, a genre particularly associated with CHOPIN, BRAHMS, COUPERIN and SCHUBERT.  Variations on KEY were keys on a computer keyboard; variations on BOARD were words that could be associated with it in compounds.

ACROSS

1              SNBQCL (CHOPIN); c + hop in

5              WIGWAG; wig wag

10           AUSTRIA; A US tria(L)

12           SYRIA; s + airy (rev.)

13           GET-GO; e.g. (rev.) + T(o’)go

14           MARM; R in mam & lit.

15           ESCAPE (Variation on A)

17           SATIE; ‘s a tie

19           SERENE; ere for a in sane

20           THE FLAT; t,h + E flat

23           IAGO; I ago

24           IRAQ; I r aq.

27           LINCTUS; ct. in Linus (Peanuts)

29           CURARE; Cu rare

31           BLASH; L in bash

34           DELETE (Variation on A)

36           OOZY; (W)oozy

37           ETAGE; tag in (w)ee(k)

38           OLLAV; ol(d) lav

39           ELENCHI; en in elchi

40           MARVER; m a r(I)ver

41           EMSTAF (BRAHMS); HM in bras(s)

DOWN

1              SAYEST; ayes in St.

2              NUTS; stun(t) (rev.)

3              CREPE; rep in CE

4              LITERAL; liter al(l)

5              WAGES (Variation on B)

6              ISOMER; I some R

7              GYMQRICL (COUPERIN); coup Erin

8              AIRING; A1 Ring

9              GAME (Variation on B)

11           SECT; cf. tecs

16           NEAT; neat(h)

18           IFQAOYAV (SCHUBERT); sch. (p)ubert(y)

21           EARL; cf. Lear

22           TINDALE; anag. in tie

25           RUCOLA; ru(e) cola

26           GRIEVE; g + I in ever (rev.)

28           SHERIF; H in fires (rev.)

30           ENTER (Variation on A)

31           BEGEM; e.g. in BEM

32           AESC; cf. aces

33           ROOM (Variation on B)

35           TAHA; hat (rev.) + a

As always there was a clue-writing competition, with KEYBOARD MUSIC being the phrase to clue.  Here are the top three:

1st  Moby Dick sure is complicated without a set of notes   (Ross Beresford)

2nd Scenes from Childhood, eg your backside getting spanked after admitting a bit of mischief                   (Richard Heald)

3rd  I’d back my Euros to convert into notes for a grand?   (Richard Morse)

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This is the website of Paul Henderson, who sets crosswords for The Independent (London) under the pseudonyms Phi, for the Daily Telegraph (London) under the pseudonym Kcit, and anonymously for The Times (London) amongst many other outlets. For a more detailed biography see the About Me page.

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