Sir Paul McCartney won Album of the Year at the Classical Brit Awards with a recording inspired by his love for late wife Linda.

The former Beatle triumphed with his album Ecce Cor Meum, which he described as "a labour of love" after a decade in the making.

Sir Paul McCartney won Album of the Year at the Classical Brit Awards with a recording inspired by his love for late wife Linda

The award was voted by classical music fans.

Sir Paul began composing the album before his first wife Linda died of breast cancer in 1998. Her death caused him to put the project on hold for two years.

It was finally debuted at London's Royal Albert Hall - the same venue which played host to tonight's Classical Brits - last November.

The album was commissioned by Anthony Smith, then president of Magdalen College, Oxford, to mark the opening of the institution's new concert hall.

Sir Paul said at the time of the album's launch: "I started it when Linda was alive. Originally we went to Magdalen College together, so it has a lot my feelings for her in it. Her spirit is very much in this.

"When she died it stalled me. I just couldn't do anything, really. I was just grieving. I gradually got back into it, I just sort of wrote my sadness out."

He has also said: "I remember sitting at the keyboards, crying - more like weeping, actually. It was kind of therapeutic. I still find it a very sad piece of music, but in an uplifting way."

Sir Paul did not dedicate the album to Linda because at the time it was being finished he had found love with Heather Mills.

"I had found a new woman in Heather and it wasn't really appropriate to dedicate it to Linda," he said.

Sir Paul and Mills are currently going through an acrimonious divorce.

Ecce Cor Meum, Sir Paul's fourth classical album, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

At the ceremony, hosted by This Morning presenter Fern Britton, the performers included Katherine Jenkins, mechanic-turned-tenor Alfie Boe and Sting, who performed a song from his album of 16th century lute music.

Also making an appearance - although not performing - was Icelandic tenor Gardar Thor Cortes, who arrived clutching a diamond cross worth more than £2 million and a diamond-encrusted watch.

The awards' presenters included newsreader Katie Derham, Sarah Brightman and Sting's actress and producer wife, Trudie Styler.

Camillan Parker Bowles, patron of the London Chamber Orchestra, met performers and presented the lifetime achievement award to conductor Dr Vernon Handley.

Backstage the Duchess was introduced to Sting and Trudie Styler, who wore an eye-popping black dress.

Sting turned up a few minutes late for the reception and his wife joked: "I suspect he's in the bathroom."

Violinist Nicola Benedetti, 19, led the field with three nominations, but left the ceremony empty-handed.

Winners included British violinist Ruth Palmer, 28, Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes.

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