Dancing Queen Denied: Bishop Halts Choir Mid‑Song at St Andrew Holborn
The City Academy Voices choir was in full swing, lifting the rafters of St Andrew Holborn with a vibrant rendition of I’m Gonna Make You Love Me, when their summer concert took an unexpected turn. Moments before their finale, a man in a blue dressing gown and bare feet appeared on stage, seized the microphone and, to the shock of more than 300 attendees, declared: “You are in my house. Can you leave it now please.”
It turned out to be none other than Jonathan Baker, the Bishop of Fulham. Video footage shared widely online shows him calling the performance a “terrible racket” and insisting that the night be brought to an end, citing that it was past 10pm. For the choir, led by director Leigh Stanford Thompson, it was a jarring end to what had been planned as a celebratory evening, and Thompson’s very last concert with the group.
Speaking afterwards, Thompson said, “I’ve never experienced anything like it. We’d planned a night of joy, and suddenly we were left standing there in disbelief. Some thought it was a comedy sketch at first, but then it became clear it wasn’t.”
One choir member described how the mood shifted in an instant: “We were ready to finish with Dancing Queen and get the whole room on their feet. Instead, the lights went out and suddenly there was someone on stage in a dressing gown. It felt surreal.”
Despite the interruption, the choir salvaged a moment of togetherness. As audience members began booing and staff moved to clear the space, the singers launched into an a cappella rendition of their planned finale. “Everybody clapped as we made our way out,” the member added. “It actually took longer to leave than if we’d been allowed to finish.”
St Andrew Holborn is a popular central London venue, often hired for concerts and events. The choir has performed there before without issue. However, a staff member was heard telling the audience: “This is a residential home. I must ask you to leave quietly.”
The Diocese of London later confirmed that Bishop Baker reached out the following day to apologise, acknowledging that the performance had overrun due to technical delays. A spokesperson added, “Bishop Jonathan reached out to the organisers on Saturday to apologise for his late-night appearance at the concert, which he now understands had overrun due to earlier technical difficulties.”
For the choir and their supporters, the night won’t be forgotten in a hurry. “It wasn’t how we wanted it to end,” Thompson admitted, “but what a story to tell.”
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[Image Credit | City Academy Voices]
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