A bishop who went on stage in a dressing gown and shut down a choir for making a “terrible racket” has apologised for the “distress and offence” he caused.
Last Friday, Jonathan Baker, the bishop of Fulham, told a room of about 360 people, including the City Academy Voices choir, to leave St Andrew church in Holborn, central London, as they neared the end of their special summer concert.
They had just finished belting out the Supremes’ hit I’m Gonna Make You Love Me when the lights went out and Baker joined them on-stage. Dressed in a blue dressing gown and with bare feet, he took the mic, described the choir’s singing as a “terrible racket” and told them to get out.
“You are in my house, can you leave it now please,” he said.
In a video posted on social media, the bishop can be seen telling the choir it is past 10pm and calls for the night to be “over”.
On Wednesday, Baker issued a written apology to “all the members of the City Academy Choir”, which was seen by the Guardian, for bringing the concert to a “premature end”.
“I write to apologise for the distress and offence which I caused on Friday evening in bringing the City Voices concert to a premature end. This should not have happened, I take full responsibility and apologise unreservedly,” he said.
“I also apologise for remarks which were made in haste and which have understandably caused hurt and distress.”
St Andrew church is available to hire as an events venue. The choir had booked the space until 11pm but Baker appeared shortly after 10pm. Addressing this, Baker said: “I accept that you had made a booking for the site until 11pm. My understanding that the performance would cease at 10pm was mistaken and I apologise for this too.
“I have lived here on site at St Andrew’s for 10 years, for much of which City Academy has rehearsed and performed here. You have been, and continue to be, welcome and I hope that you will be able to continue the relationship with us.
“I can give you every assurance that the events of Friday evening will not recur and I apologise again to performers (especially those unable to perform at the end of the evening) and audience alike.”
Among those denied a finale was Raj Swamy, 33. He was getting ready to sing his solo, Reach Out I’ll Be There, when he noticed the bishop opening the door behind him and switching off the lights.
“It was an odd experience. It was just before I was about to sing. I never thought a bishop would be the reason I didn’t have a solo that night,” he told the Times.
The final song on the choir’s setlist was going to be a fully staged rendition of Abba’s Dancing Queen. After Baker demanded everyone leave, outrage bubbled up and the choir began performing an a cappella version on stage, before finishing it on their way out to a loud, rapturous reception.
Leigh Stanford Thompson, the director of the choir, called the incident “bizarre”. By chance, it was also his last concert in the role. “We had a really good concert but I think it’s a real shame that we didn’t get a chance to finish. But now looking back, what a way to go out,” he said.
