World Premiere: Presented by Stratford Summer Music in association with Inter Arts Matrix, Kitchener-Waterloo and Festival Escales Improbables, Montreal.

The Story: In 1284, the town of Hamelin suffered from a terrible pollution problem when rats infested their cities. A man known as the Pied Piper offered to rid the town of rats in exchange for payment. With his musical magic, the Piper led the rats away to the river, where they drowned. But the townspeople refused to pay the Piper, so he lured away the town’s children with his music. They did not return..... until now.

In this urban earth fable, the children have returned as the Pied People, trained in the musical magic of the Pied Way. The earth's environmental problems are now catastrophic. The Pied People attempt to conjure up the presence of the Pied Piper, now revealed to be a woman known as MyAudia. To do so, they must get the townspeople to pay attention to the magical sounds around them, to honour the debt they owe to MyAudia and to the environment.

Will the townspeople finally pay attention or lose another generation of children?

The Questions Posed: How the power of sound surrounds us and how it can save us

The Setting: Keep your eyes and ears open. This spontaneous street opera unfolds from Friday to Sunday throughout downtown Stratford. You may find yourself suddenly immersed within one of the scenes.