“For a long time, there has been a perception that Catholics can’t or won’t sing in church. But this is not accurate: Catholics can and do sing… We all are called by Christ to love one another. If singing is a way to do that, why hold back?”

--Diana Kodner Gökçe

“Singing with one another,” the author reminds us, “is both prayer and an act of love. It heightens our worship, and helps us remember words of praise, thanks, petition, and most importantly, the Word of God. A great voice is not required. Singing is beneficial, and a precious gift from God.”Music is sung prayer; when we sing, we give voice to a mystery that cannot be expressed in mere words…and yet, many are hesitant to raise their voices in song when we gather together to worship.  

Filled with wisdom for new Catholics as well as those who have been attending liturgy all their lives, this book gives the person in the pews prayerful insight and solid foundation in the basics of the music we sing every week at Mass. Why Do We Sing? examines why but also when and how we sing in church: What is the significance of the different things we sing? What difference does it make if I sing, especially since I am not a very good singer? How do I get over my self-consciousness with singing?

A book for everyone in the parish, this book seeks to help every liturgical gathering find its musical voice and more fully embrace its ability to participate fully, actively, and consciously in the liturgy. 

Diana Kodner Gökçe is the author of Handbook for Cantors, 3rd edition (GIA Publications, Inc.). She has taught liturgical music at Loyola University and worked as a music minister in numerous Chicagoland parishes including Holy Name Cathedral. She is currently Liturgical Music Coordinator at The Frances Xavier Warde School. 

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