Opera -- once considered the preserve of the rich -- is to be performed in Oxford by homeless people.

New College choir and director of music Dr Edward Higginbottom will perform alongside homeless people

The scheme, organised by the charity Streetwise Opera, will bring together Oxford's most vulnerable residents and the highly regarded choristers of New College. A series of 12 workshops will be held across Oxford in September, teaching the homeless to sing, perform and develop production skills.

The opera is to be a new staging of Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols and Winter Words, based on Thomas Hardy poems. A performance is due to take place at the college later this year.

Streetwise Opera organised a similar project in Westminster, London.

Founder and director Matthew Peacock said every effort would be made to encourage and include everyone in the Oxford scheme.

He said: "We work to benefit the homeless. We are not an opera company that's decided to do something novel, we are a resource specifically for the homeless.

"We want to give participants the chance to be part of something they will be proud of. Some will want to sing, others will want to work backstage, we want everyone to get involved."

He added: "Oxford is one of those places where a lot of poverty is hidden by affluence and high culture.

"It's a really good chance to work with this community and show they can do something to build their confidence and be part of a highly professional production.

"Resettled homeless people can be left feeling isolated and drop out of schemes. This kind of thing can help them stay involved in society.

"We're still working with people who took part in the Westminster project. People have developed better communication skills, built up their confidence.

"We've seen people going through drink and drugs rehabilitation build on their motivation. Younger people have gone on to education and training and a small handful are in employment.

"It's difficult to quantify how much of this success is a direct result of our work, but it does play a part. Our research is showing it really works."

But Lesley Dewhurst, director of the Oxford Night Shelter in Luther Street, warned it would only work well if people of all abilities were made to feel welcome and involved in the opera.

She said: "I think it's tremendously useful for the homeless to be offered the opportunity to get completely absorbed in something totally different.

"But they must allow people with all sorts of abilities to get involved in every part of the production, not just the highly skilled and talented.

"I hope that local people will become very enthusiastic and want to join in."