David Arch, better known as Dave Arch, is a British pianist, conductor, arranger and composer with a career covering albums, films and commercials, television and live performances. He is Musical Director and arranger for BBC Television's '' Strictly Come Dancing''.

Early life

Arch's father was Gwyn Arch, a composer and choral director. Arch grew up in

Sonning Common Sonning Common is a village and civil parish in a relatively flat, former common land part of the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire, centred west south-west of Henley-on-Thames and north of Reading. History During the English Civil Wa ...

, near Henley-on-Thames, South Oxfordshire and attended Chiltern Edge School and King James College, Henley-on-Thames, and the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

. He was a member of the

National Youth Jazz Orchestra The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) is a British jazz orchestra founded in 1965 by Bill Ashton. In 2010. Mark Armstrong took over as Music Director of the flagship performing band, and Artistic Director of the organisation; Bill Ashton becam ...

Career

Television career

Arch is best known for his role as Musical Director and arranger for BBC Television's '' Strictly Come Dancing'', joining in 2006 after working as Musical Director on two series of '' Strictly Dance Fever'', and ''

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''. He was also Musical Director for recent productions of the '' Royal Variety Performance'' for ITV, including in 2021, the hundredth anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall, and for ITV's series '' Stepping Out'' and ''

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''. In 2013, Arch was musical director and band leader for the television special ''When Miranda Met

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''. In 2015, he was the musical director and band leader for the ''

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'' special, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest. That same year, he was the chairperson of the United Kingdom's national jury for the

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Compositions

Arch was commissioned to produce the original themes and stings for the British television broadcaster GMTV, broadcast between 1993 and 2010. Subsequent themes were all based on his original melody. In 1986, Arch recorded a series of albums on red vinyl for UK-based Cavendish Music Library, which also featured

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on guitar. In 2005 Arch played keyboards for the Greg Lake Band. In October 2016, Arch released his debut album ''Coming Home'', consisting of his own compositions and including collaborations with his son, his father and "Strictly" colleague singer

Tommy Blaize Tommy Blaize (born 5 March 1963) is a vocalist, composer, pianist, and guitarist. He is best known as a vocalist on BBC One's '' Strictly Come Dancing''. Blaize has been singing professionally since the age of 9. He has worked with some of the w ...

. The album was recorded and co-produced by Haydn Bendall at

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, Rak and Strongroom studios.

References

External links

*
Discography
at dave-arch.com

at dave-arch.com

at dave-arch.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arch, David Living people Strictly Come Dancing British male composers Year of birth missing (living people) Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama