No.11118, Monday 23 Jun 2014, Aspartame

Aspartame takes me on an amusing musical. I muse: 6a, though not starred and having definition, could be a part of the theme... Any others?  There also appears to a theme other than the stated one: That of football in the clues ...(highlighted in yellow, there could be more)

Setter's Note:
*Starred clues all belong to a common category. There is no definition for these clues.

ACROSS
6 It’s played by 3-50 per cent of Mordor church — a hum basically (7) MORCEAU (MORdor CE A hUm)
          As mentioned in the clue, here's a bit of 3's composition 

Intro to Bagatelle No.25 in A Minor (Beethoven), better known as "Fur Elise"

7 Brachylogy is to talk, say, about isotopy often (7) BREVITY (IsoTopY in VERB<, talk being an example)
9 Monster created biz mantra (5) ZOMBI (BIZ OM)* alternative spelling of Zombie
10 Most foul wet decks I scrubbed (9) WICKEDEST (WET DECKS I)*
1211 Pattern of teasing (7) RIBBING 2 Clue No.is printed wrongly as 12 Ribbing, plays football, not soccer, I gather ...
13 Following one auditor, revolutionary used a fencing acknowledgement (6) TOUCHE (~TWO CHE)
15 Say, Brazilian football club lost top form, then hired Erica (5,8) SOUTH AMERICAN (ERICA in SOUTHAMPTON-top*)
19 Leading Hungarian attacker sprinted to evade Neymar’s chase (6) HASTEN (acrostic)
20 Spoil vehicle about to be used for tilling (7) TRACTOR (ROT CART)<
23 Government body built poor constructions (9) POLITBURO (BUILT POOR)*
24 Sweeping stroke from midfielder wearing belt (5) SLASH (L in SASH)
26 Trainee dingoes found wanting (7) NEEDING (T)
27 Reproduce songs about to be broadcasted (7) ENGROSS (SONGS RE)*

DOWN
1 A strange plant (4) ARUM (A RUM)
          We just had it a week back in the Sunday Special

                                         Illustration by Bhargav

2 Ancient banking house applied science to remove brunette’s heart (6) MEDICI (MEDICIne)
3, 14* Bad glove with uneven design (6,3,9) LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (BAD GLOVE WITH UNEVEN *
           Tongue in cheek: We have two anagram indicators (one at either end) for the same fodder, and I am not referring to "Bad" ...
4 Legendary footballer needs boy to get one Italian spice (8) PEPERONI (PEPE RON I)
5 This can end badly and become a letdown (10) DISENCHANT (THIS CAN END)*
6* German footballer (not Italian) found in departmental store (6) MOZART (OZil in MART) but how does not Italian, lead to deletion of il, since there is no reference to 'the' ...
7* Support finally withdrawn by Henry (4) BACH (BACk H)
8 Stay at terrace to contribute to endless talk (6) YATTER (T)
          CGB will now remember Yeeta's Yatters ;-) I am not sure it matters ...
12 Crosswords person (10) BOOKSELLER (CD) ref to the bookshop

Illustration by Rishi

16 Intent is to build a place in China (8) TIENTSIN (INTENT IS)*  had to cheat for this ...
17* Present utensil on the radio (6) CHOPIN (~SHOW PAN)
18* Indian god’s lacking a … (6) BRAHMS (BRAHMa'S)
21 Reserve German police officer was embraced by a Pole (6) ASSIGN (A N around SS IG)
22 Support part of the society (4) RUNG 2
25 Excited girl enters Goa and returns (4) AGOG (G in GOA)<

Special, Sunday 22 Jun 2014, Pluralist

As usual three answers per commenter with annotations till 6 PM

ACROSS
6.    P eddle beer on foot, being abandoned (6)
8. O n the rocks from 1AD! (3)
9. E mploy captured soldier, about 50, to turn over (American farm, perhaps?) (4)
10. M etal eating metal? That's hot! (4)
11. S ignified by going after headless campers as well as... (3)
12. ...elite river? (6)
13,18 R ewrite mad recipe, Horace - do it now! (5,4)
14. O ne brings many together by confining her within? (9)
18. [See 13a]
20. B athroom fittings from the Mughal Gardens collection? (5)
21. E cstatic over the green cheese ball? (4)
23. R etaining licence, arrives to provide navigation instruments (9)
25. T he setback in iron imports may be trivial... (5)
28.     ...but deputy law officer detains family for questioning (6)
30.     F orces replacing PC persons on chair and spokes (3)
31. R ook in tender response to avian specimen (4)
32. O pen heart, chant, open eyes - you're in! (4)
33. S tems from one's resolve to get odd floors (3)
34. T ake back sample of remblai rubble for landfill? (6)

DOWN
1. Regularly timed exits cast link leading to North American state capital (8)
2. Stay, little prince, and lament (6)
3. Double creates a dilemma (4)
4. Ill-earned penny given to little creature (4)
5. Tramp's times – or ours (6)
7. Tritium beam on a platter (4)
9. Plan for British version taking on setter (7)
15. Recall part of Caddel's iambic passage (5)
16. Potato dish identified with tag (4)
17. Slips, drops or slips up (4)
19. Mother fish taking student with cartographic features (7)
22. Not a detour? We're off, then (2,3,3)
24. Footwear for a leather supplier (6)
26. Natural DNA ribbon modified to eliminate bad parts (6)
27. Rebuff Bath rolls? (4)
29. Hook-headed giant albacore feeds four (4)
30. Defaces fourth rock (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at the following link PLURALIST 2

Enjoy.