The Sunday Crossword (2874), Sunday 03 Jan 2016

ACROSS
1   Face struggle to arrest slump (6) VISAGE {VI{SAG}E}
4   Snake and cheat, swaggering (8) BOASTING {BOA}{STING}
9   Bird towards north sheltered by dry covering (9) STONECHAT {S{TO}{N}EC}{HAT}

11 Some Essex celebrities are brilliant (5) EXCEL [T]
12 Ceremony fitting in speech (4) RITE (~right)
13 Mean and horrible under it all (3-7) ILL-NATURED*
15 Cabbage newly seen beside field covered with herbs (7,6) CHINESE LEAVES {CHI{SEEN*} {LEA}VES}

18 Fresh crop that rises very high (13) STRATOSPHERIC*
20 Thick-skinned creature, old crocodile initially in river, emerged without energy (10) RHINOCEROS {RHIN{O}{Cr...e}E}{ROSe}

22 Insect returning in rush to mate (4) MOTH [T<=]
24 Deep voice about right for memorial (5) BRASS {B{R}ASS}
25 Given evidence bound to include established supposition (9) TESTIFIED {T{EST}{IF}IED}
26 Remove spar in area for maintenance of craft (8) DOCKYARD {DOCK}{YARD}
27 Song sung by sailors in hut (6) SHANTY [DD]

DOWN
1   Room in church really enshrining saint (6) VESTRY {VE{ST}RY}
2   Son left mark of damage in high-powered vehicle (6,3) SPORTS CAR {S}{PORT}{S CAR}
3   Odd parts of garden we cultivated (4) GREW {GaRdEn}{We}
5   Anxious one outside shelter on height surrounded by crows (2,11) ON TENTERHOOKS  {ON {TENT}E}{R{H}OOKS}
6   Beloved wife filling churn with skill (10) SWEETHEART {S{W}EETHE}{ART}
7   Sustain elected scoundrel (5) INCUR {IN}{CUR}
8   Travel on day after day in desire for rare commodity (4,4) GOLD DUST {GO}{L{D D}UST}
10 Male elk settler disturbed runs in wild haste (6-7) HELTER-SKELTER {HE}{ELK+SETTLER}*{R}
14 Against corruption of usury, toil honestly (10) VIRTUOUSLY {V}{USURY+TOIL}*
16 Clubs entertained by broadcast on trivia of a bygone age (9) VICTORIAN {C} in {ON+TRIVIA}*
17 Put down in the role of copy editor (8) ASCRIBED {AS}{CRIB}{ED}
19 Careless and casual in fling (6) SHODDY {SH{ODD}Y}
21 One story, not good, about Newton? (5) ISAAC {1}{SAgA}{C}
23 Substance hot after excavation (4) PITH {PIT}{H}

GRID