Okay, wee update. I'm finally getting my pea-brain around the idea that I have to sort-of wait a bit for things to happen. Like the shadows which I thought were noisy (fireflies??), but no... they just hadn't had time to be fully processed. Thanks for your notes on this.

So, an hour into the render, we're at this:

So, a lot of playing yet to do... and sheesh, the lights / materials / options! You could get a Uni degree on this.

Monterey/Mint21.x/Win10 - Blender3.x - PP11.3(cm) - Musescore3.6.2

Wir sind gewohnt, daß die Menschen verhöhnen was sie nicht verstehen
[it is clear that humans have contempt for that which they do not understand] 

Metaphor of Chooks