Why Is Gregorian Chant the Standard?

• Free rhythm Chant has no fixed meter, so the music can bend to the words of Scripture as it is written, leaving the meaning fully, literally, intact. In this way, Gregorian chant bypasses the narcissistic pitfalls of modern hymns because the music itself obeys the words of Scripture.
• One line of music A single bending line is how a text set to music is most clearly understood by the human ear. Gregorian chant is straightforward and simple in texture. Essentially ornamented spoken prayer, it does not need harmony from a choir or organ accompaniment.
• Variety of form Perhaps the most-cited objection to Gregorian chant is its assumed difficulty. In fact, there exists an amazingly large repertoire of chant, much of it accessible to non-musicians.  
• Timeless beauty Gregorian chant is not bound to any time and place, so it can serve as a unifying form of sung prayer. In one musical style we are offered a bridge among all peoples and generations of the Latin rite. It remains faithful to the original intent of both Jewish and Christian chant, which is to adorn liturgical readings with a beauty and dignity befitting the word of God.

— Mary Ann Carr Wilson