* In the solutions defined in these eight clues one two-letter note from the tonic sol-fa rising scale must be replaced with another to produce the grid entry described in its wordplay. In the other eight across clues the wordplay is missing a letter; in order these eight letters are: M O R E A M B E .
With C as the deduced letter for the middle unclued square, these produce Morecambe (Eric), who on the 1971 Morecambe and Wise TV Christmas Show told André Previn that he was ‘playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order’.
Across
1* atired A(s)TI/RED A(DO/ti)RED
4 command CO<MAN>D + M
8* oretis TORIES (anag) O(TI/re)TIS
9 ergodic ERG/CID(rev) + O
10* pomer bear P<MORE(anag)/B(ash)>EAR PO(LA/me)R
11 irony I/0/N(ew)Y(ork) + R
12* ifagon 1/F(emale)/AGON(y) I(SO/fa)GON
14 orients O(ther)R(anks)/IN/ST(rev) + E
16 regatta TT (dry) in RAGE (anag) + A
19* loosoh LOOS + MY! (Oh!) LOO(FA/so)H
20 prime PRIE(st) + M
21* introdots DISTORT(i)ON (anag) INTRO(MI/do)TS
23 stabile SEAL IT (anag) + B
24* chodoa HO(use)/DO in CA (California) CHO(RE/do)A
25 nosegay A/G(ood)/SON (rev)/(mumm)Y + E
26* sadlas S(ob)/A<D(aughter)>LAS SAD(DO/la)S
Down
1 apologise A/POLO + EG IS (anag)
2 rotor ROT/0/R(ight)
3 discern DIS(h) + CERN
4 cheerio CHEER + IO
5 magnifico I’M FACING (anag) + O(ld)
6 and so on AN<DSO>ON [Distinguished Service Order]
7 dactyls C(irca)/T(ime) in SADLY (anag)
13 gathering G(ood)<A>THE RING
15 Tahitians A TIN HAT IS (anag)
16 ropes in RO<PE>SIN
17 guitars G<IT(alian)>UAR(d)S
18 agilely A/GI + (Peter) LELY
19 latices LA<(rxcellen)T>ICES [plural of ‘latex’]
22 ovoid O + VOID