Here is a very powerful article you might enjoy, published by author Daniel Lord on the Crisis Magazine website.

Two quick excerpts:
    "The Church put specific prayers and chants in place for every Mass many centuries ago, with the intention that we should sing them regularly and ritually: an Introit at the beginning, a Gradual and an Alleluia after the readings, an Offertory and a Communion."
    “Musicologists have pointed out that the very form of metrical hymns, with their predictable upbeat and downbeat, tend to remind us of the passage of time and (by extension) the world. Whereas Gregorian chant, which is completely free in its rhythm, takes you into another world: prayerful, reverent, eternal, holy.”

You may or may not agree with everything the author says. Please feel free to comment directly on the Crisis website.