Cue of the Week: “The Final Tournament (Part 1)”

Composing for a fencing tourney in a documentary is decidedly different from scoring the same material in a fictional movie; too bombastic a style and you’ve suddenly turned a real-life moment into an Errol Flynn action sequence.

At the same time, this scene in Touché: A Blind Fencer’s Story does have some of the elements of fiction: sympathetic characters, tension, and struggle towards a climax. The music needed to acknowledge the energy, and the distinctive give-and-take rhythm of fencing.

My approach was rhythmic, but on an intimate rather than ultra-romantic scale; the drive is provided by three celli, instead of a big orchestra or pounding electronic beats. Support is provided by colorful hand percussion – marimba and halo drums, which sound a little bit like Caribbean steel drums.

(Click on the play button to stream, or the cue title to download.)

	The Final Tournament (Part 1)