A choir concert at a central London church took an unexpected turn Friday night when the Bishop of Fulham, Jonathan Baker, interrupted the performance—barefoot and in a dressing gown—telling the audience to leave and declaring the music a “terrible racket.”
The incident occurred at St Andrew’s Church in Holborn, where the City Academy Voices choir was nearing the finale of their summer showcase. As the group prepared for their last numbers, the lights were abruptly switched off, leaving more than 300 attendees in the dark—literally and figuratively.
Bishop Baker appears in widely circulated TikTok footage, stepping up to a microphone and announcing:
“You are in my house. It’s gone past 10p.m., and this is a terrible racket. Goodnight. You are in my house—can you leave it now, please? Thank you, it’s over.”
A church employee followed up the bishop’s remarks by asking the audience to exit quietly and for performers to vacate the stage—prompting audible boos from the crowd.
Undeterred, the choir made a defiant final stand, closing the night with an unaccompanied rendition of ABBA’s Dancing Queen, drawing applause and solidarity from the stunned audience.
Benedict Collins, an audience member attending with his 10-year-old daughter, initially thought the bishop’s outburst was part of the show.
“The church willingly rents out the premises for performances, for money. They can hardly be surprised if there’s music,” said Collins.
The performers put forth exceptional effort. This work deserves respect—not to be disparaged as a ‘terrible racket.’”
Collins added that several soloists were cut off mid-performance, calling the bishop’s remarks “deeply disrespectful” and the apology that followed “mealy-mouthed.”
The Diocese of London later told The Guardian that Bishop Baker had contacted the organisers to apologise, explaining that he now understands the show was overrun due to technical delays. The apology did little to soothe frustrations.
“I hope the bishop is okay,” said Collins. “But a genuine, unambiguous apology would go a long way—one that recognises why his behaviour wasn’t acceptable.”
While some found the surreal spectacle amusing, others questioned whether the sanctity of church spaces should be balanced more respectfully with their commercial use. As for the choir, they left the stage with grace, dignity—and a standing ovation.
