This piece’s title probably suggests Smith and Wesson firearms, but the scene is actually about blindfolds. These are the means by which sight-impaired fencers insure a fair competition, putting them on equal (albeit highly challenging) ground.

The music, for solo cello with piano, accompanies Catherine Bolton’s reflecting upon her first panicky experience with a blindfold – an initial step on her path towards championship in this unusual sport.

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	The Great Equalizer

Continuing the music series from the soundtrack of Touché: A Blind Fencer’s Story, this week’s selection is a layered piece for cello trio.

The asymmetrical rhythm — 5/4 meter for you music nerds — parallels the sporadic back-and-forth as the training duelists exchange lunges and parries.

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	The Sparring Dance

Continuing the music series from Touché: A Blind Fencer’s Story, this cue accompanies the introduction of fully-blind fencer Ani Brady. The music intermixes vibraphone, piano, and hang drums, which are the more agile cousins of Caribbean steel drums.

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	Introducing Ani

This week’s selection is a short cello prelude that accompanies the opening scene of Touché: A Blind Fencer’s Story. The intended mood was regal but intimate, reflecting fencing’s history but not overwhelming a dialogue-driven scene. The end result was this Baroque-esque solo piece, performed here by John Acosta.

(p.s. The phrase “Baroque-esque solo piece” sounds like a diction exercise.)

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	Prelude for Épée

A companion piece to last week’s music selection, this cue accompanies the climactic showdown between fencers Catherine Bolton and Robbie Hopper. Both are sight-impaired fencers who fence entirely blindfolded. To a sight-enabled observer who can easily sense the relative positions of both participants, the faceoff is unexpectedly gripping.

This cue continues the musical vocabulary of Part 1, utilizing hand percussion and marcato celli to provide a minimalist-style rhythmic drive.

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	The Final Tournament (Part 2)