The King’s Singers were “deeply saddened” to have their two-hours-before-showtime performance at Florida’s Pensacola Christian College cancelled.
After discovering “that one of the artists openly maintained a lifestyle that contradicts” the Bible, the university decided to cancel the performance.
An “implied or direct endorsement of anything that violates the Holy Scripture” was something it explicitly stated it could not do.
The King’s Singers announced the cancellation of their show on Instagram, stating that it was the first time one of their performances had been postponed for a reason other than inclement weather, a pandemic, or a war.
They claimed that “concerns” about the “lifestyle” of some members of the group were cited as the official reason for the cancellation by the school.
We have received a deluge of letters from students and the general public, and it is abundantly clear that their main concern is the sexual orientation of our group’s members.
Despite knowing “that this is a fundamentalist Christian institution,” the group decided to perform there again.
They went on to say, “We think that music can create a common language that allows people with different views and perspectives to come together.”
The band expressed regret at not being able to present “our music and our mission of finding harmony” to the university’s more than 4,000 students and expressed hope that further dialogue would foster “a greater sense of love, acceptance, and inclusion.”
We are all “made in God’s likeness,” as the saying goes.
Pensacola Christian College (PCC) also issued a statement, identifying itself as “a religious liberal arts institution founded upon and guided by the Bible.”
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According to the group’s official statement: “Because our firm convictions are based on the Holy Scripture, our institution cannot knowingly give an endorsement of anything that goes against that sacred text.
“Moreover, the university acknowledges that each person bears the image of God and deserves to be treated with respect and kindness.
The King’s Singers’ scheduled performance at Presbyterian Community Church was cancelled after it was discovered that one of the group’s members openly followed a lifestyle that is in opposition to the Bible.
PCC added that the band members are “highly talented musicians” who were “treated with dignity and respect when informed of the cancellation.”
In addition to being fully compensated, the King’s Singers “stated their understanding and acceptance of the change,” the statement reads.
The King’s Singers was established in 1968 by six choral scholars and is named after King’s College, Cambridge.
Patrick Dunachie, Edward Button, Julian Gregory, Chris Bruerton, Nick Ashby, and Jonathan Howard are the current members.
As part of their current North American tour, they’ll be making stops in Canada this week for a number of performances.