Ups and Downs by Llig

Puzzle explanation

Extra words in clues were key words in the quotation “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low” from Isaiah xl, 4, used in slightly altered form in Handel’s Messiah. Down answers containing valleys had them shifted to the top of the grid, and hills were shifted to the bottom in other entries. Several clues made reference to works by Handel.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1   TING T + IN + G(loria)
6   SCARCER ’S + (ARCHER − H(andel)) after C
11   SEA EAR (CESARE with A for C) *
12   ARIOSI IO in AIRS *
14   MAPP M + A + PP; ref. E. F. Benson’s Mapp and Lucia novels
15 Every SLANG ANGELS * − (financ)E
17   PARAPET RAPE in PAT(rol)
18   ITALA IT + A + LA
20   TOADIES ARIODANTE * − RAN *
23   DEVOID VIDEO * after D(eidamia)
24 valley SEVER VERSE *
26   SLANDER HANDEL’S * with (Ne)R(o) for H(amburg)
28 exalted SECTS SES(tet) around CT
30   MPRETS PRET in (anthe)MS
31 every RATABLE (Almi)RA TABLE(au)
34   OVERT OVERTURE − URE
36   ROSEHIP (SIROE + HP) *
37   GESSO G + ESS + O(rlando)
38   CHAI C(hoose) H(er) A(mours) I(ndiscriminately)
39   ARIELS ISRAEL *
40   ISMAIL I’ + ISLAM *
41   NUCLEAR (HERCULEAN − HE (helium)) *
42   PIPE P in PIE
Down
1   DISTEMPER (S(t)E(e)R(e)D + TEMPI) *
2   ISAAC IS + A + AC
3   AGAPE AG(rippina) + APE
4   DESPOIL (PI ODE S(au)L) *
5 mountain AVALED AVA + LED
7   CANNON N in CANON
8   DRIFTER DRIER around (F + T)
9   ACOL (Alcin)A COL(oratura)
10   ARIA (ALMIRA − LM) <
13   SPLEEN ((I)L PENSE(roso)) *
16   ATTENDERS ATTEND + (S)ERS(e)
19   EVICT (CAPTIVE − AP) *
21 and IVIED I + VIED
22 Hill SPIKE-RUSH RUSH after SPIKE
25   BEAVER (A BREVE) *
26   TELSTAR LET < after STAR
27 made EPISOME IS in (EP + O’ + ME(ssiah))
29   MESAIL ME’S + A + IL
30   MOSSAD SAMSO(n) * + D
32   RECAP R + PACE <
33 low PALPI I after PLAP <
34   MANO TAMERLANO * − LATER *
35   ERIC BERENICE’S * − BEEN *
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