Westminster Cathedral Choir School dismisses 'toxic' atmosphere rumours

A world-renowned yet scandal-hit choir school has dismissed rumours of a “toxic” atmosphere as “conspiracy theories”, a leaked letter to parents has revealed.

In March, the Telegraph revealed that the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales was accused of imposing “Stasi-style” gagging orders on school staff, amid fears he is trying to shut down Westminster Cathedral Choir School (WCCS).

In his role as the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Nichols also sits as president of the prestigious WCCS, which has become embroiled in an escalating row over the future of its choirboys after it controversially scrapped weekend boarding.

The row intensified after the school's Master of Music, Martin Baker, suddenly quit in January despite 20 years of service and after a reduced six-day-a-week timetable was implemented.

Now, Madeline Smith, the music administrator of Westminster Cathedral, has also publicly resigned and accused WCCS of undermining the choir, of misleading parents, and of “inexcusable” treatment of Mr Baker.

Her letter of resignation, which has been widely circulated on social media, states: “I am not leaving because I want to: quite the reverse. I love this job and believe deeply and firmly in what it stands for, and care deeply for the choir and for its future.

“I am leaving because I feel there is no alternative; that the position in which the Music Department finds itself is untenable, and I feel it has been so for quite a while.”

She added: “I thus reluctantly leave this wonderful and unique place with an extremely heavy heart, and no small amount of depression and anxiety, caused by the frightening and toxic atmosphere upheld by the management of the school and tacitly enabled by the Cathedral hierarchy through its refusal to recognise the problem, intervene, and mediate to find a workable solution between its employees.”

The Telegraph investigation revealed that Cardinal Nichols was accused of presiding over a “toxic” and “draconian” culture at the school.

However, in a letter to parents David Heminway, chair of governors at WCCS, dismissed her resignation letter as “dishonest and misleading” and urged parents to ignore “this constant barrage of untruths and deliberate misrepresentations”.

In the letter, dated September 14 and which was leaked to the Telegraph, he said: “I am reluctant to dignify this dishonest and misleading letter with a comment, but the School has been under sustained, hostile and unfair criticism from a number of people opposed to the modest changes it made to the chorister boarding schedule at weekends. I cannot responsibly allow further calumnies to remain unchallenged.

He added: “Absurd conspiracy theories about covert plans to close the choir, or phase out boarding altogether, or convert dormitories into classrooms to fund the Pre-Prep, have abounded. None of them are true.”

Multiple current and former parents and staff spoke to this outlet and claimed that they had become embroiled in a regime dogged by non-disclosure agreements, payoffs and settlements that effectively “silence” dissenters.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Westminster, said: “This letter, circulated by a former employee, is replete with inaccurate and baseless claims, which are personal attacks on certain individuals. It would appear that this employee is acting from a personal grudge.

“Westminster Cathedral Choir School and Westminster Cathedral, with its Music Department, are working closely together on the challenges of these difficult Covid-19 circumstances to secure the future of sacred music in the cathedral.”