English chorus master is shamed in China for ‘not wearing knickers’

Report from Rudolph Tang in Beijing:

Magic Flute, a show created for children performed by the UK-based The Classic Buskers, was called off at the last minute by the Beijing Concert Hall where a performance had been scheduled for June 3rd.

Parents who attended a performance by The Classic Buskers in Shanghai on June 1st complained that Mr Ian Moore, a Cambridge organist and choir master who was playing the Queen of Night, went on stage apparently without wearing knickers under the short skirt.

Some parents sitting at the front rows left the City Theatre abruptly, taking their children with them and filed complaints to the press and the tour management. They demanded an apology from the troupe, and cancellation of it’s China tour.

According to several reports, Ian Moore apologized for his “forgetting to wear knickers after changing costume” in a video apology. But Beijing Concert Hall called off the performance, citing “unwellness of the performer”, and offering ticket refunds. The City Theatre also released an apology to the parents. Before the incident took place, the show had been running in China for three years.

We have asked The Classic Buskers for a response.

UPDATE: ‘He was wearing something…’