Exceptional dearness expressed primarily in these songs? (9)
I believe the answer is:
serenades
'these songs?' is the definition.
(serenade is a kind of song)
'exceptional dearness expressed primarily' is the wordplay.
'exceptional' indicates anagramming the letters.
'primarily' says to take the initial letters.
The initial letter of 'expressed' is 'e'.
'dearness'+'e'='dearnesse'
'dearnesse' is an anagram of 'SERENADES'.
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for serenades that I've seen before include "Woos with music" , "airs" , "Love songs under fair lady's window" , "Pieces of music" .)