Bishop in dressing gown apologises after shutting down choir’s church concert: ‘you are in my house’

4 August 2025, 13:49

People initially thought the angry bishop’s appearance was a practical joke.

A bishop in his dressing gown shut down a choir concert, calling it a “terrible racket”.

Just as The City Academy Voices were about to perform their final song at their summer performance, Jonathan Baker, the bishop of Fulham, took to the stage in his dressing gown, grabbed the mic and told everyone the show was over.

The group had just finished singing ‘I’m Gonna Make You Love Me’ by The Supremes when the lights went out and the Bishop ended the performance at St Andrew church in Holborn, London.

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In a video published on TikTok, the bishop is seen addressing the choir and audience, saying: “You are in my house and that’s it, it’s gone past 10 and this is a terrible racket. Goodnight.”

“You are in my house, can you leave it now please,” he added.

A member of the church staff then came on stage and apologised and thanked people for their attendance but reiterated to the room that everyone needed to leave quietly.

The choir did not quite comply, bursting into an a cappella rendition of ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’, which was due to be their final song of the night. In videos shared online, audience members were on their feet, joining in, clapping and dancing along.

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“It was so bizarre,” Leigh Stanford Thompson, the choir director told The Guardian, “I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

It was his final performance as director, and people in the choir thought the incident was a set up and that the bishop was a hired actor. One choir member said: “At first, I thought it was a comedy act or some actor doing a scene. But when we realised, oh no, this isn’t an act, this is real, it was just a bit surreal.”

They went on to say: “There were boos and everything, it’s just really disappointing. At the end of these concerts, we always end on a real high and everyone goes home full of joy, but this dampened things.

“If he just waited for five minutes, we would have been done and out, but because of what happened there was lots of booing, shouting. Then people were applauding the choir”, the added.

A spokesperson for the diocese of London said: “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.”

A full statement was later published in which the Bishop apologised “for the distress and offence I caused in bringing the concert to a premature end. This should not have happened … I also apologise for remarks which were made in haste, and which have understandably caused hurt and distress.”

He went on to say that the choir has used the space at St Andrew’s for much of the time he has lived there: “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 the audience alike.”

A spokesperson for the choir responded, saying that no hard feelings were held and adding: "If anyone is thinking of joining one of our choirs, the City Academy Voices rehearse on Mondays in central London. Dressing gowns optional."