The boys of Broughton Parish Church Choir come from some nine schools around Preston, Lancashire, and are provided with a completely free musical training that offers them unrivalled opportunities to learn and sing some of the finest works of the Anglican choral repertory to a very high standard. In addition to singing at the main Sunday services at the ancient parish church dedicated to St John Baptist, the boys and gentlemen of the choir are regularly invited to sing in other churches and major cathedrals and a particular highlight for the boys is their annual week-long training course in the Isle of Man.
But it’s not all work! As well as sports days and football and cricket matches, regular fun outings are arranged for the boys including, to name a few recent examples, visits to Sea Life, Go Karting, Ninja Warrior, Wacky World and Laser Quest!
History of the Choir
For as long as anyone can remember, Broughton has had a choir of boys and men leading the worship in the ancient parish church. Sadly however, there appear to be few records of personnel or of the services in the parish prior to appointment of Mr William Redmayne as Choirmaster.
In 1933, under the leadership of Mr Redmayne the choir became one of the first to be affiliated to the School of English Church Music (now the Royal School of Church Music) and this affiliation has continued to the present day under successive Choirmasters, Gerry Dawson, Alan Trannah, Brian Cryer, John Catterall MBE and Harry Spencer.
In the early days, the choristers assembled in the old vestry on the north side of the chancel, but it became increasingly apparent in the 1970s that this room was quite inadequate for a rapidly growing choir, (it had been built to accommodate just twelve boys and eight men!) and in 1976 a new vestry was built with money from the Tyson Trust.
In addition to the building development, the 1970s saw the Choir extending its activities beyond the parish boundaries. The week-long choristers’ course for the boys in the Isle of Man became established, (the choir’ fiftieth visit to the Island was celebrated in 2024); both boys and men became very actively involved in the RSCM Northern Cathedral Singers; and the choir regularly undertook engagements in a number of cathedrals in the north of England.
In 1992, the choir undertook its first overseas tour, and sang five concerts in the Morbihan area of Brittany, and in succeeding years has maintained its links with 
both this area of France and the Normandy coast. As choir numbers continued to increase, the PCC agreed to the appointment of a second ‘full-time’ musician and, in 1994, Mr Ian Seddon, a very accomplished musician, was appointed Assistant Organist, a post he held until 2010. 
In January 2024, the church marked the retirement of Mr John Catterall MBE as Choirmaster after 58 remarkable years. Under Mr Catterall’s dedication and inspiring leadership, the choir grew into one of the most highly regarded parish church choirs in the country. The present Choirmaster is Harry Spencer, a former Broughton chorister and organist.
The choir continues to flourish and, at the time of writing, with a tour to the Isle of Man alongside with some big services at home, Broughton Choir is very definitely ‘on-song’!
Music Staff
Mr Harry Spencer – Organist and Choirmaster
Administrative Staff
Mr Sam Walmsley
Mr Jamie Ranson
Broughton Parish Church Choir 