A church concert in the United Kingdom came to an abrupt halt when a barefoot bishop in a blue dressing gown took the microphone and ordered 360 attendees to leave, calling the choir’s singing a “terrible racket.”
The audience was moments away from hearing the final number, “Dancing Queen,” when the lights went out and the eviction began.
The incident occurred just after 10 p.m. during a performance by the City Academy Voices at a historic church in central London, where the choir had booked the space until 11 p.m., The Telegraph reported.
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Moments before the show’s planned finale, the Bishop of Fulham, Jonathan Baker, who lives on the church’s property, stepped on stage and told the stunned audience, “You are in my house, can you leave it now please,” repeating the request and declaring the concert “over.”
Baker had reportedly believed the booking ended an hour earlier and told the crowd, “It’s gone past 10, and this is a terrible racket,” according to Sky News. Dressed in a nightrobe and barefoot, he interrupted just after the choir completed “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” by The Supremes, cutting off one soloist moments before his performance.
A video of the incident circulated online, showing Baker walking onstage as the venue lights shut off. A church staff member then addressed the audience, asking everyone to leave quietly, prompting boos and confusion from the crowd.
One attendee, who was there with his 10-year-old daughter, said he initially believed the interruption was part of the show.
Benedict Collins, a member of the audience, was later quoted as saying the bishop “cut them off in midstream,” denying soloists their chance to perform and calling the choir’s work “deserving of respect, not to be disparaged.”
The choir and attendees had been left visibly shocked by the incident, which they had not anticipated.
Despite being told to leave, the choir sang one last number: an a cappella version of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” which was met with applause from the remaining audience.
Leigh Stanford Thompson, director of the choir, described the event as “bizarre” and said he regretted that the group had not been allowed to finish the concert as planned.
Bishop Baker later issued a formal apology in a written statement, expressing regret for ending the concert early and for remarks made “in haste.” He acknowledged the distress caused to both performers and the audience and accepted full responsibility for what had happened.
The bishop also wrote that he had misunderstood the booking arrangements and assured the choir that such an event “will not recur.”
Baker noted that he had lived at the site of St. Andrew’s Church for 10 years and that the choir had rehearsed and performed there for much of that time. He expressed hope that the relationship with the choir would continue despite the disruption.
The choir responded publicly, stating it was “upsetting” not to finish their program but that they held “no hard feelings” and wished the bishop well.
