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Many words I don't know in this. 5a and 11a to name two. And i don't know any Brazilian Maestros. Which is why I think I may be struggling. I can think of a few words that fit 1a but none that fit any possible definition in the clue.

How does it parse?

Rocky7: the last word is the definition. ‘Westward’ indicates a reversal of a familiar abbreviation, which is enveloped by an abbreviated county.

Oh and the maestro is (or rather was) a composer.

Hi Rocky,

1a - 3 letter acronym for "going too far" (as in 'that's was too much') reversed/"westward" goes inside "small county" which is a contraction of an English county (like Herts for Hertfordshire) - definition is "seat".

14d - The "team" is a Premier League side (but it's apostrophe S with the S so be careful) and that goes around both a 3 letter "shot" (as in tennis or football) and single letter "ball".

Hi again brendan. I guess I was trying to make Rocky7 work a bit harder 😉

Oh of course. That was one of the words I had but didn't make the connection. Thanks Rogissimo

I'm working hard thanks 😀. Thanks Brendan. Got that and had heard of them too.

rocky7 😉😂

Picaroon is one of my favourite setters. A couple of very minor niggles though. According to Chambers, the abbreviation used in 5a is only singular (unlike the preceding definition in Chambers which it indicates can be singular or plural). Also, in 6d, the noun in the clue is plural whereas that part of the grid entry is singular. Thinking about it, I suppose the singular could describe them in general rather than having to agree with the noun. I must have OD'd on the pedantry pills this morning!

hi simon
i don't understand your point about 5. there are two separate graduates, hence the plural?