[3] Arch taught English at Rickmansworth Grammar School for nine years, studying musical composition at Trinity College London in his spare time.
[6] His oeuvre includes many arrangements of choral works and songs, in a wide variety of genres, for mixed (SATB), male (TTBB), and female (SSA) choirs.
[12] Arch met Jane, subsequently a head teacher, when he was at Oxford University, where he was musical director of the Experimental Theatre Club and she was in the choir.
[5] Their elder son David Arch is also a conductor, arranger and composer and is the musical director on the BBC Television show Strictly Come Dancing.
[5] Their younger son Jonathan has a daughter Lucy[citation needed] who is a professional cellist, playing regularly with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.