A composer who is battling a brain tumour has been recognised for his contribution to the world of music.

John McCabe CBE was presented with The Ivors classical music award during a ceremony at Grosvenor House Hotel, London, last Thursday.

The 75-year-old Sittingbourne resident has composed more than 250 pieces, some of which are two-hour-long ballet pieces, since he started writing music professionally in 1957.

One of them, Joybox, he wrote while he underwent six weeks of intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy to manage the inoperable and incurable growth.

He had just started working on the BBC commission when he was diagnosed with cancer in December 2012.

As a result, much of it was composed during the early hours of the morning when he was unable to sleep due to the cocktail of drugs he was taking.

It was eventually brought to life when it was played to a full house at a BBC Proms concert at the Royal Albert Hall in July last year.

He described the moment as “a bit like winning Wimbledon” after conductor Juanjo Mena came off the stage and climbed up to his seat to congratulate him as he couldn’t get down to the stage to take a bow.

Since then he has written a trumpet and piano sonata, and is currently working on a choral piece for the Halle Choir to be premiered later this year.

Liverpool-born Mr McCabe has battled adversity for most of his life.

At the age of two he nearly died when he fell into a fire at the family home after he climbed a fireguard to get to a pot of ink which had been taken away from him and placed on the mantelpiece.

The pianist is also deaf in his right ear after contracting meningitis.

He trained as a musician at Manchester University and the old Royal Manchester College of Music, which he entered in 1960 as a piano pupil.

On June 28, his Psalm cantata will be performed with organ accompaniment instead of orchestra by the English Baroque Choir at St Alphege Church, Greenwich, at 7.30pm.