He was also conductor of the Oxford Orchestra and Oxford Bach Choir, and president of the Musical Club and Union. In 1939 the governing body of Christ Church elected him a student (the equivalent of a fellowship in other colleges), the first organist to receive that honour. His son has written that Amstrong "found the wider academic community deeply congenial, especially the Senior Common Room at Christ Church … For him, Oxford was, and remained, a spiritual home." When Allen died, after a road accident in 1946, Armstrong hoped to be appointed to succeed him as professor of music at the university, but the post was given to Jack Westrup.