| PAVAROTTI | A VIP or tenor primarily at work? |
| CZAR | Drug control VIP, or a former Russian ruler |
| ASSORT | Arrange a soprano or tenor to cover last of arias (6) |
| QUARTERBACK | Football VIP, or what you might get from an old pay-phone |
| PROVISO | So VIP or stranger stipulated condition (7) |
| DECANT | Pour a new tokay - primarily at Christmas time |
| SHIPLOAD | Quantity carried aboard a Polish destroyer, primarily at sea (8) |
| AFTERTASTE | A street fighter, primarily at scuffles, sustained smack in the mouth? (10) |
| HYMN | Hear bass or tenor, perhaps, in song? (4) |
| DRIFT | Direction, tendency or tenor |
| LUCIANO | Lucky gangster or tenor Pavarotti |
| VOCALRANGE | Mezzo or tenor, for example |
| DISTORT | Misrepresent part of melodist or tenor (7) |
| VOICE | Soprano or tenor, say (5) |
| SAX | Alto or tenor instrument, informally |
| CCLEF | Alto or tenor symbol (1,4) |
| OPERASINGER | Soprano or tenor, eg (5,6) |
| PROVERBIAL | According to Sturgeon, what 21Dn's given to 8Dn, bar left-winger VIP or so in disguise (10,3,7) |
| TWOFINGERS | According to Sturgeon, what 21Dn's given to 8Dn, bar left-winger VIP or so in disguise (10,3,7) |
| SOCIALCLIMBER | Aspiring VIP ... or any of the critters hidden in the starred clues' answers |