“We are, inescapably, filled with Ruah, the Holy Spirit, from our first breath to our last. As Paul reminds the early church in Romans 8:9 ‘you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.’ Paul is reminding us that we are filled with the Ruah of God and so should choose to live accordingly.”

                                                                  – Ian Callanan (from the Introduction)

 

Drawing on the rich tradition of composer Ian Callanan’s musical background Ruah: Mass of the Breath of God is filled with Celtic themes and motifs. With the exception of the Our Father, the entire Mass is composed in the key of D, the key in which traditional Irish instruments are tuned, making the setting as accessible as possible. The recording models the sound of full Celtic instrumentation, though the setting is just as effective when simple accompaniment is used.

 

Ruah utilizes the Eucharistic Prayer for Children, yet the choice is by no means meant to be limiting. This is a setting composed with the entire assembly in mind, encouraging all to take a deep breath, then sing with the Ruah of God.