Festival spirit defies instability in Lebanon

By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent BEITEDDIN, Lebanon (Reuters) - Lyrical notes from the saxophone of U.S. jazz artist Branford Marsalis waft into the cool night air of a mountain palace courtyard in Lebanon. The applause generated by the fine music also seems to carry overtones of joy and relief that Lebanon's summer festivals are back after two years of cancellations forced by a war with Israel in 2006 and battles with Islamist militants last year. "It means normal life is coming back, hopefully, and it's a positive sign," said Karen Kilejian, a supermarket finance officer, outside the early 19th-century palace of Beiteddin. Grappling with instability is nothing new to organizers, audiences and performers at cultural events in Lebanon. The festival at Beiteddin, in the Shouf hills southeast of Beirut, began in 1985 at... [read full story]