A lively summer concert in central London took a strange turn when a barefoot bishop in his dressing gown took the stage—not to bless the performers, but to shut them down.
What started as a joyful evening of music ended in confusion, disbelief, and a somewhat surreal exit tune.
Bishop Storms Stage and Orders Choir Out
It all happened last Friday night at St Andrew’s Church in Holborn, where the City Academy Voices choir was wrapping up their performance to a crowd of around 300 people.
Just as the concert was nearing its finale, the lights suddenly came on—and so did Bishop Jonathan Baker of Fulham.
Wearing a dressing gown and no shoes, the bishop walked up, grabbed a microphone, and told the performers and the audience:
“You are in my house.
It’s gone past 10pm and this is a terrible racket.”
The crowd murmured in confusion, many thinking it was part of the show.
But the bishop, clearly serious, doubled down:
“Goodnight.
You are in my house – can you leave it now please. Thank you, it’s over.”
Audience in Disbelief as Staff Asks Them to Leave
Soon after, a church staff member followed up with a more formal request, telling everyone to vacate the building quietly because “this is a residential home.”
That announcement was met with boos and jeers from concertgoers who couldn’t believe what was happening.
Still, the choir managed to sneak in one last number—a spontaneous a cappella version of ABBA’s Dancing Queen.
The crowd erupted into applause, clinging to a moment of levity amid the awkward exit.
Choir and Audience React with Shock and Humor
Many attendees were stunned, including Benedict Collins, who was there with his ten-year-old daughter.
He told Sky News he thought the whole scene was a skit:
“At first I thought it was a joke—like a comedy routine.”
He pointed out the irony of a church that rents its space out for concerts being shocked that music was involved.
The choir’s director, Leigh Stanford Thompson, said even the performers initially believed it was an act.
“It felt like some kind of comedy sketch.
But when it sank in that this was serious, we were all just kind of stunned.”
They later regrouped at the pub to process what happened.
“Honestly, it was a great concert. It’s just a shame we didn’t get to end it properly.
But now, looking back… what a way to finish,” he told The Guardian.
Diocese Issues Apology, Citing Misunderstanding
Following the uproar, the Diocese of London released a statement saying Bishop Jonathan had reached out to the organisers the next day to apologise.
According to the diocese, the bishop hadn’t realised the event had run late due to earlier technical delays.
Still, one choir member was clearly disappointed:
“It’s just really sad. We usually end on such a high note.
Everyone leaves full of joy, but this left us with a bit of a sour taste.”
They added that being called a “terrible racket” felt unfair:
“We pride ourselves on making beautiful music. That comment just didn’t feel right.”
