Blab Music
South Carolina Enacts While I Breathe, I Hope as Official State Choral Anthem
On May 15, 2026, the South Carolina General Assembly formally adopted While I Breathe, I Hope as the state’s first choral anthem, adding a new musical voice to a growing roster of symbols that also includes the prothonotary warbler and the song Carolina When I Die.
The anthem’s title is the English rendering of the state motto, Dum spiro spero, which the first South Carolina General Assembly adopted in April 1776. The Latin phrase—meaning “While I breathe, I hope”—has appeared on the state seal since May 1777 and has long been a marker of the state’s enduring optimism. According to the SC Daily Gazette, composer James Kevin Gray said the piece was meant to be timeless and to unite South Carolinians across generations.
Gray, a York County native, wrote the song in 2015 while serving as minister of music at River Hills Community Church near Lake Wylie. The roughly two‑minute choral work has been performed with ensembles ranging from middle‑school choirs to collegiate choruses. In 2016, the choir of his alma mater, Winthrop University, first performed the anthem, and in 2021 the South Carolina chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) selected it for a virtual choir that brought together students from across the state.
The legislative path began in 2015 when Gray met Rep. John King at a town‑hall event in Rock Hill. King introduced the first bill to make the song an anthem after hearing a recording performed by the Clover High School Choraliers. Subsequent bills in 2016, 2017, and 2021 incorporated changes to the title and wording but did not advance. In early 2025, Gray connected freshman Rep. Adam Duncan, a Republican from Seneca, with King. Duncan co‑sponsored the sixth proposal, and two months later the House passed the legislation unanimously. Rep. Kambrell Garvin, a Democrat from Columbia and a Winthrop graduate, also joined as a co‑sponsor.
The Senate approved the bill on April 30, and Governor Henry McMaster signed it into law the following day. McMaster said the anthem “reflects the pride we share in our state from the Lowcountry to the Upstate” and that it is a fitting tribute to South Carolina’s values.
The new anthem joins other 2026 symbols: the prothonotary warbler replaced the Carolina wren as the state migratory bird in February, and the song Carolina When I Die, written by Camden native Patrick Davis and featuring Darius Rucker and Edwin McCain, was signed into law on May 18. The anthem is the only official choral anthem, intended to serve as an uplifting unifier akin to the national anthem.
Gray, who moved to France in April 2026 to serve as director of music ministries at the American Church in Paris, said he hopes the anthem will be sung by choirs throughout the state. Its message of hope and shared responsibility is meant to resonate with South Carolinians amid a time of division.
The adoption underscores the state’s ongoing efforts to celebrate its cultural heritage while looking forward. With the choral anthem in place, South Carolina now has a complete set of official symbols that reflect its history, natural beauty, and artistic community.
The anthem’s title is the English rendering of the state motto, Dum spiro spero, which the first South Carolina General Assembly adopted in April 1776. The Latin phrase—meaning “While I breathe, I hope”—has appeared on the state seal since May 1777 and has long been a marker of the state’s enduring optimism. According to the SC Daily Gazette, composer James Kevin Gray said the piece was meant to be timeless and to unite South Carolinians across generations.
Gray, a York County native, wrote the song in 2015 while serving as minister of music at River Hills Community Church near Lake Wylie. The roughly two‑minute choral work has been performed with ensembles ranging from middle‑school choirs to collegiate choruses. In 2016, the choir of his alma mater, Winthrop University, first performed the anthem, and in 2021 the South Carolina chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) selected it for a virtual choir that brought together students from across the state.
The legislative path began in 2015 when Gray met Rep. John King at a town‑hall event in Rock Hill. King introduced the first bill to make the song an anthem after hearing a recording performed by the Clover High School Choraliers. Subsequent bills in 2016, 2017, and 2021 incorporated changes to the title and wording but did not advance. In early 2025, Gray connected freshman Rep. Adam Duncan, a Republican from Seneca, with King. Duncan co‑sponsored the sixth proposal, and two months later the House passed the legislation unanimously. Rep. Kambrell Garvin, a Democrat from Columbia and a Winthrop graduate, also joined as a co‑sponsor.
The Senate approved the bill on April 30, and Governor Henry McMaster signed it into law the following day. McMaster said the anthem “reflects the pride we share in our state from the Lowcountry to the Upstate” and that it is a fitting tribute to South Carolina’s values.
The new anthem joins other 2026 symbols: the prothonotary warbler replaced the Carolina wren as the state migratory bird in February, and the song Carolina When I Die, written by Camden native Patrick Davis and featuring Darius Rucker and Edwin McCain, was signed into law on May 18. The anthem is the only official choral anthem, intended to serve as an uplifting unifier akin to the national anthem.
Gray, who moved to France in April 2026 to serve as director of music ministries at the American Church in Paris, said he hopes the anthem will be sung by choirs throughout the state. Its message of hope and shared responsibility is meant to resonate with South Carolinians amid a time of division.
The adoption underscores the state’s ongoing efforts to celebrate its cultural heritage while looking forward. With the choral anthem in place, South Carolina now has a complete set of official symbols that reflect its history, natural beauty, and artistic community.
