Britten's 45-minute gem, composed in 1949, features half-a-dozen young singers. It's the tale of a nine-year-old boy ``owned'' by two brutal chimney sweeps who arrive at a Victorian country house to clean the chimneys for the holidays. Sam, the Little Sweep, gets stuck in a chimney but is rescued from his ordeal by the clever children of the house, who plot to win his freedom. It's a Dickensian tale of cruelty, ingenuity and hope, with some of Britten's most charming music. The audience participates in four songs... with some professional help!