Piper in Maradi Hall Before Dawn

Deep shadows swallow the lower half of a concert hall in Maradi, where a lone figure stands playing highland bagpipes. Cool, pre-sunrise light cuts a sharp silver rim around the musician's shoulders and the curved wood of the pipes. The performer wears a heavy kilt and dark jacket, standing on a polished floor that reflects the faint ambient glow. Low-hanging clouds outside the unseen windows diffuse the morning chill into the room. Dust motes hang motionless in the sliver of light hitting the instrument's drone pipes. The texture of the tartan fabric catches the dim edge of the rim light, against the smooth, dark wood of the chanter. A faint shadow stretches across the stage floor toward the empty rows of seats.