The City Academy Voices choir was midway through a summer concert at St Andrew's Church in Holborn, London, on Friday evening when an unexpected figure took the stage. Dressed in a blue dressing gown and without shoes, Jonathan Baker, the Bishop of Fulham, grabbed the microphone and described the choir's singing as a 'terrible racket'. He told the stunned singers and audience of about 360 people that the night was 'over' and demanded they leave.
Bishop Baker arrived as the choir was about to perform its final song, a rendition of Abba's 'Dancing Queen'. The lights had gone out and the music stopped. A church employee later apologised but insisted everyone leave because 'this is a residential home'. The choir director, Leigh Stanford Thompson, said it was 'so bizarre' and that he initially thought it might be a prank. A choir member admitted that at first she believed it was a comedy act, but soon realised the interruption was real.
The concert had been booked in advance, and the choir had used the venue before without issue. Thompson noted that the evening was designed as a celebration, coincidentally his final concert directing the group. After the bishop's outburst, the choir performed an a cappella version of their planned finale as they exited, receiving a loud, rapturous reception from the audience.
A Diocese of London spokesperson confirmed that Bishop Baker reached out to the organisers on Saturday to apologise for his 'late-night appearance'. The statement explained that the bishop now understands the concert had overrun due to earlier technical difficulties. The choir member expressed disappointment, saying the choir produces a 'beautiful sound' and that waiting five minutes would have allowed them to finish peacefully.
