Cathedral investigated over bullying claims

SHEFFIELD Cathedral is being investigated over bullying allegations after chorister parents expressed concerns regarding staff behaviour.

Claims of bullying come after it emerged earlier this week that the cathedral would disband its choir because it does not meet the needs of a “mixed urban community” and should be more diverse.

The complaints, regarding allegedly intimidating behaviour towards musical staff and volunteers, are believed to have been made in April. Peter Bradley, the cathedral’s dean, has now ordered an external inquiry. It is understood a member of staff was alleged to have received a 45-minute threatening phone call at midnight from an official at the cathedral.

Sheffield Cathedral choir has lost three music directors within five years. The most recent resigned without explanation earlier this month, only weeks after being appointed.

Former choristers said they were “shocked and saddened”.

They added: “More must be done to make organisations more diverse and inclusive. But to use inclusion as a pretext to obscure the mismanagement of music at Sheffield Cathedral is shameful”

Last night, the dean told The Daily Telegraph he “very much hoped” choristers, who would lose their place following the disbanding and rerecruiting, would reaudition.

He added: “Of course, we regret this, and we recognise the real grief.

“They’ve not had their membership of the cathedral taken away, they’re still valued parts of the community … If we’d felt that there was a really effective way of doing this, within the gradual approach [to increase choir numbers as well as spectators] that we’d tried, we’d be doing it.”

A spokesman for the cathedral said: “Whenever a complaint is made, the Dean and Chapter take it extremely seriously. In this case a formal investigation into harassment and bullying is in progress by an external body.”