The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word QUINTET
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
Q
U
I
N
T
E
T
More clues leading to the result QUINTET
- . Question purpose when finally leaving band
- Group of horses unprotected prior to theft oddly
- Piano introducing new theme initially in piece of music
- Five players still not inwardly disheartened
- Group still to engage name tenor
- Group of singers left to take in bit of music, nothing less
- Musical group left around ten, roughly
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Five players" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case five players = quintet.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does QUINTET mean?
QUINTET noun- A composition (a type of chamber music) in five parts (typically each a singer or instrumentalist, sometimes several musicians)
- A group of five musicians, fit to play such a piece of music together
- Any group of five members