The 'Lux in Tenebris' mass, winner of the first Llull Laboratory scholarship
Greek composer Christos Barbas has presented his project, coinciding with the feast day of Ramon Llull on November 27th.
PalmGreek multi-instrumentalist and composer Christos Barbas, winner of the first international grant for creation and artistic residency at the Laboratorio Llull, presented his project this Thursday, November 27. Lux in Tenebris at the headquarters of the Estudi General Lul·lià, coinciding with the feast day of Ramon Llull. The composition is a contemporary mass for heart of voices and ney (a reed flute native to the Middle East) inspired by the Book of Friend and Beloved by Ramon Llull.
Lux in Tenebris Christos Barbas's proposal was selected by the jury in July 2025 from among 43 applications as the recipient of the grant. Over the past few months, Christos Barbas has been able to develop his proposal thanks to the resources and support provided by the first grant for artistic creation and residency in Palma, which was supported by the Consell de Mallorca and the Baltasar Coll Foundation.
The Llull Laboratory (Llull Lab), which promotes this grant, has opened a multidisciplinary study path between the arts, sciences and humanities around Ramon Llull and his work to support original artistic or research projects that show the specific link between the proposal and some specific theme or aspect of Lullian subject matter.
The organization explains that Lux in Tenebris It perfectly responds to that approach. It is a musical composition that traverses Mediterranean languages and traditions, transforming Lullian spirituality into a sonic experience that fuses mystical inquiry with traditional and contemporary musical forms.
When the jury chose Barbas's proposal last July, they highlighted that his musical composition "had managed to capture the scope of Lullian spirituality by creating a language that was both traditional and contemporary, thus fulfilling one of the objectives of this grant: the dissemination of the work and thought of Ramon Llull through..."
In his presentation, the artist explained the creative process of Lux in Tenebris and how the composition, which in July was just an ambitious proposal, has grown and materialized. Although the presentation will include musical interpretations of the composition, it is not the actual performance of the mass created by Christos Barbas, which will be staged in Palma in the coming months.
What is 'Lux in Tenebris'?
The central axis of Lux in Tenebris According to the author's own explanation in his proposal, it consists of verses by Ramon Llull, taken from Book of Friend and Beloved, which connect his message with the philosophical and musical traditions of the Middle East and Sufism. For this reason, Ramon Llull's texts intertwine, dialogue with, and contrast with the poetry of contemporary philosophers and spiritual figures such as Yunus Emre (Turkey, 1238–1320), Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207–1273), Hafiz, and also with,
The composition, despite being completely original, is based on and inspired by elements of medieval music and Gregorian chant, as well as the mystical and Sufi music of the Middle East, from both the vocal and instrumental traditions.
The author
Christos Barbas is a composer, improviser, and multi-instrumentalist (Thessaloniki, 1980), and is one of the most versatile and creative Greek musicians of recent years. He is the artistic director of Labyrinth Catalunya in Cardedeu and has lived in Barcelona for the past 10 years.
The first Llull Lab artistic creation grant was launched this year and is intended to be an ongoing program. The inaugural edition has garnered significant attention, with 43 proposals submitted, all of which—as highlighted by the jury—demonstrate high artistic and conceptual quality. Applications came from countries including South Africa, Iraq, Thailand, Israel, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, and other locations within Spain.