In Memoriam by Phidias

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of English composer (William) Havergal Brian on 29 January 1876. His best-known work is the Symphony No 1 in D minor, colloquially known as the Gothic Symphony, which was entered in the grid’s innermost ring. The fourth ring contained SABRE-TOOTHED, SUMATRAN and SIBERIAN, hinting at The Tigers, a comic opera Brian wrote at the same time. The puzzle’s title referred to In Memoriam, an early tone poem by Brian. The setters, Phi, Dimitry and Augeas, are all members of the Havergal Brian Society, a charity that promotes the work of Havergal Brian and sponsors performances and recordings of it.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer [entry] Explanation
Radials
1 ELENCH (H)ELEN CH(adwick)
2 HASTES HAS + SET <
3 QATARI QAT + ARI(d)
4 BEDUIN [UDEBNI] DEB in UNI
5 RACING [INGRAC] (certa)IN GRAC(e)
6 CHEMIC (CH + MICE) *
7 ELATES PRELATES − PR
8 ROMANS [NAMORS] MAN < + OR + S(ideways)
9 THEORY THEO + RY
10 TWYERE [ERETWY] (ERE + (ne)W + Y) around T
11 HYMNED [MYHDEN] MY + H + DEN
12 HENMAN [ANHENM] (A + N + H(ouse) + M) around EN
13 SPREAD [READSP] READ + SP
14 POSHLY HORSEPLAY * − ARE *
15 HAUNCH HUNCH around A(ctor)
16 HAREMS [HSMERA] HERA around (S + M(ysticism))
17 VOTARY [OTARYV] OTARY + V(estibule)
18 OCTAVE OAVE(s) around CT
19 NURSER (RES + RUN) <
20 ALIGNS [GILASN] GILA’S + N
21 NOWAYS [AWONSY] (Y after (WON + S)) after A
22 ASTELY [LETSAY] LET + SAY
23 BAAING BANG around A1
24 GIBBER G + FIBBER − F
25 SOIRÉE [OSEERI] O + SEER + I
26 COAXER [OCREXA] X in OCREA
27 TRITON (r)I(o)T(s) in TRON
28 TOASTS TOTS around (A + S(uccess))
Rings
29 EGMA AGE < around M
30 MEED MERITED − RIT
31 HAHN NAH < around H(anley)
32 ERAS (op)ERA S(eria)
33 LOTA LOT “A”
34 BEET 2 meanings
35 SETT S(quar)E + T(ar)T(an)
36 ARNA A + RNA
37 HERR HERR(y)
38 WYNS (WYSTAN − TA) *
39 OAST S in TAO <
40 CUSS C(antering) U(nder) S(avage) S(witching)
41 ANIS (D)ANIS(h)
42 CROC CROCUS − US
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