Crossword Help Forum
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Overture of Pirates & Iolanthe = P I
Begin old fashioned = BROCH (an early form of BROACH)
PIBROCH = piped music
Extra word chamber

The only really thematic submission is the submission of a blank grid
There were plenty of elements in this puzzle to keep us amused
The G & S Red Herring
The S & G song chiming with the "classical" piece
The musically themed clues to cold solve & extra words to identify
The Carte Blanche jigsaw to complete and identification of the theme
The ordering of the extra words to get the two messages
The cursing and the eventual grudging realisation
Good joke, Pilcrow. Restful New Year for Mr. Green

Well, no Chambers for xmas but I'm pretty much there. 3 blank cells which I am hoping to work out when I find the letters from the phrase to determine the word to remove. If multiple options work without ambiguity, surely they have to all be correct unless one option stands out clearly or any can be logically discounted? If any erase option leaves just a random set if letters (no phrase, no image etc) then that is surely not right as it's a bit pointless. If any option leaves anything tangible then that surely has to be preferable to a blank grid? From what I read here prior to my own amendments, I am guessing I will end up with a phrase. I can deal with a nul alteration 8-)

I think that the "cursing and eventual realisation" was concerning the fact that we've been served up a puzzle over the festive period that was both defective in terms of ambiguity of the preamble (Cockie, your opening comment was fair) and unsatisfactory in endgame. If the object is to make Mr Green's job easy through everyone submitting an empty grid, perhaps it's time for the editors to choose a new judge with slightly more appetite for the job...and yes, Cockie, I believe that the editors fail again (not a sudden development, it's happened many times in recent years).

One well-worn piece of music, and another piece of 'music' which doesn't exist. Yes, thanks very much to the setter for a classic puzzle.

Alterations done. Blank grid it is then!

I am new to the listener crossword and only found this forum last week so hesitate to comment. But it seems to me a blank grid is the correct solution.
Not sure I am completely happy I have found you. I think I will only look at the forum after completing the crossword to my satisfaction (as today) or if I am completely blocked (as last week) in which case I will not submit it.

I thought that I had completed the puzzle successfully, but when coming to finalize the details, one or two things seemed not to fit. I would be grateful for some help. A minor point, but is it a shortened title for the C piece that is formed by the 19 first/end letters? Also I am having problems with the clue beginning 'colourless' in bottom left corner. I thought the answer was p????r in top right of completed grid, but cannot fix it. Which word is to be removed from the clue. What has timpani to do with the answer? Also how does the 19 first/end letter sequence beginning 'Erase ....notes' continue? I will not be submitting, although I did submit another blank grid many years ago! Grateful for any help. Roger

Very pleased to complete this puzzle while away from home without access to my usual reference books. The clue beginning "colourless" has "timpani" as the extra word. The definition is "colourless quality" you need a four letter word meaning "spiritless" with the two middle letters the same. Remove one of these ("half-hearted"), and put a three lettered word meaning "everything" inside ("boring").

Remember that the two messages are made up of 38 letters each. The message referring to the work spells out the work's title, which is actually expressed in numbers and symbols.

Submitted but one last thought. Is there any significance to G and S other than the obvious red herring and the reversal red herring?

Without entering the argument about editorial judgements in setting a puzzle which required the submission of a blank grid I must disagree that this was done to provide Mr Green with an easy week or that he does not have the appetite for the job he has done now for many years. Over these years he must have devoted a large amount of time every week to checking every entry so that he can provide solvers with an individual record at the end of a solving year - and some grids require a great deal of meticulous scrutiny - and setters with feedback provided by solvers. Listener solvers and setters are greatly in his debt. He will be very difficult to replace. I could only take issue with him about his dislike of Message Boards such as this.

Thanks very much for your help Wintonian. What a gentleman you are. My problem turned out to be that I became tired when completing the grid, and only wrote down thirty three of the first/end letters instead of the 38. Happy New Year to you, Roger