Notes for peace in the Mideast.

Troops armed with automatic weapons have stood guard over their rehearsals. And, for security reasons, their names cannot be listed in concert programs. But the 80 Arab and Jewish musicians, ages 13 to 26, who play in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra do not arrow these details to derail, their passion for music. The orchestra was founded in 1999 by Daniel Barenboim, an Israeli conductor, and the late Edward Said, a Palestinian writer. Its purpose is to promote peace in the Middle East by bringing Arab and Israeli musicians together. Orchestra members come from Israel, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Spain. When they play, says Barenboim, "They are all equal; there is not the 'oppressor' and the 'oppressed,' the 'militant' and the 'military.'" "The West-Eastern Divan, which meets for a workshop in Seville, Spain, every summer, has toured Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East.