Bishop Halts Choir Concert in Dressing Gown Drama
So, something pretty unexpected happened in London recently, and it’s the kind of story that sounds like a scene from a quirky British comedy—but it’s absolutely real. It involves a choir, a church concert, and a bishop... in a dressing gown.
Picture this: the City Academy Voices, a well-loved community choir, was putting on their summer concert at St Andrew’s Church in Holborn. The atmosphere was electric. They’d just wrapped up a Supremes number and were gearing up for their final, feel-good song—ABBA’s Dancing Queen . The audience of over 300 people was ready to dance in the aisles. It was also a special night because it was the last performance directed by their longtime leader, Leigh Stanford Thompson.
But then, out of nowhere, the lights went out.
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At first, people thought it was a power cut. But then, the instruments were still working—so something was clearly up. That’s when a man walked onto the stage barefoot, in a blue dressing gown, and grabbed the microphone. He wasn’t part of the act, and he wasn’t joking. It was Bishop Jonathan Baker, the bishop of Fulham, who actually lives at the church premises. He told the choir and the audience that it was past 10pm, that they were making a "terrible racket," and asked everyone to leave—saying, “You are in my house.”
You can imagine the shock. Some people thought it was a comedy bit. Others were just stunned. A staff member quickly followed up with a more formal request, apologizing and telling everyone to leave quietly because the building is also a residential home.
Still, the choir wasn’t ready to go out on that note. As a kind of defiant farewell, they sang an a cappella version of Dancing Queen as they exited the stage—and the audience applauded them all the way out.
The incident has caused a fair amount of backlash. Audience members called the interruption disrespectful, especially after so much effort had gone into the performance. One attendee even said the singers had poured their heart and soul into it, and deserved to be celebrated, not cut off.
Since then, the bishop has reportedly apologized to the organisers, saying he hadn’t realized the show ran late because of technical delays. But for many, the apology felt a little too vague.
Regardless, the choir handled it with grace and even humor. They ended the night with a pint at the pub and a story they’ll probably be telling for years.
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