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6d. In texting you is ‘u’.
3d. A word for a series of requiem masses minus the first letter gives definition.
28a. This is the only clue I have not solved.

Jigjag, in 28 A, ER is the series. The definition is 'impressive' (definitive, stunning...). I hadn't known the 'channel', but I think I checked it in Chambers.

grunger (26a). Yes, I like the clue too, and I think the thematic element is nicely worked, it's only the missing anagram indicator that bothers me (either that or, as seems likely, a part of the definition is doing double-duty as def/anagrind).
Chambers' definition is 'interjection expressing Bacchic frenzy', I can't see how 'frenzied' can be removed from the definition to act as an anagrind (and without it there isn't an indicator that [a]EIOU becomes EUOI)
I can see what you're getting at re the order, but I'm not keen on giving the vowels an arbitrary order at the outset because a quintet should be an organization of parts - and that organization has always been AEIOU where vowels are concerned... but there is certainly scope for your solution in Chambers' definition for 'vowel' - ''a letter (usually a, e, i, o, or u)'', '...usually' could be Kcit's 'get out of jail card' but if it is, I hope it doesn't catch on, things could get pretty chaotic.

sorry - this has dragged on a bit.

...and on and on...

I should say that the '...usually' in that definition has nothing at all to do with the ordering of the vowels, but that there are other vowels that are not 'a,e,i,o,u'... but I know you already know this.

drxx

Thanks for the interesting analysis. You say a quintet should be an organisation of parts. I suppose a string quartet is similar. If you asked me how that was made up, I would say first violin, second violin, viola and cello. But if somebody said cello, viola and 2 violins, I dont think it would be wrong.

I like the vowels in Welsh, W and Y which can be consonants also I think

Thanks for that, gunger - I wouldn't have a clue about arrangements for quartets (and I'm sure you're right about them being flexible).

Another group that works in your direction is points of the compass - we see a lot of that in clues, and something like - ''All points bulletin,'' might be OK to clue NEWS, for instance. But I think we've just got used to that convention (surely, all points of the compass = N,S,E+W, in that order).

However, using the same device to clue CADGE - ''Frame bl**dy fool from musical septet'', without signalling an anagram of the notes A,,C,D,E,[f]+G, wouldn't be OK, I'm pretty sure of that (and the '...quartet' clue is very similar to this, I think).

Sorry to have gone on and on about it yet again!

...I don't know how some of that came out in bold - I couldn't do it again if I tried.

...I think it must have happened when it deleted my '' note - anag ACDE[f]G for CADGE (minus bf = 'bl**dy fool').

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