Campus Events, Campus Wide, College of Humanities & Social Sciences, Horton School of Music and Performing Arts

U.S. Navy Band made stop at CSU for 100th Anniversary Tour

By Brandon Carpenter | March 31, 2025

U.S. Navy Band performs at Charleston Southern University. Photo by Dan Steffy

The U.S. Navy Band performed to a packed house of 1,500 attendees at Charleston Southern University’s Lightsey Chapel Auditorium on Sunday, March 30. The band performed a wide-ranging selection of music, from classic patriotic tunes such as “God Bless America” to popular hits. The performance commemorated the band’s 100 years of service, as well as the 250^th anniversary of the U.S. Navy, and is part of a series of performances taking place across the Southeast.

Along with the main concert band, the Navy Band’s Sea Chanters and Cruisers, which are the chorus and popular music groups of the band respectively, joined the stage for the performance.

The band’s Commanding Officer, Captain Robert “Seph” Coats, led the performance. Recently assuming command of the U.S. Navy Band in 2024, he has led and directed other bands within the U.S. Navy since 2008 and has conducted with these bands worldwide throughout his career.

The family-friendly event connects with the local community to spread awareness and appreciation of this cherished organization and the U.S. Armed Forces. The performance was completely free and open to the public, but seating was limited, and an advanced ticket was required.

Musician 1^st Class Ryan Connelly, a tenor of the Sea Chanters chorus, personally described how the Navy Band impacts the local communities it visits during tours. “I feel that we are able to do a great deal of good with our tours, as well as our public performances in the DC area,” said Connelly. “I’ve had great conversations after performances with audience members, both some who have served and some who have no ties to the military, and all of them take away something from the show— whether that be emotional, informational, or just fun!”

Connelly also explained what makes the Navy Band unique as compared to other civilian bands. “The Navy Band in DC is unique in many ways— we are one command but have many smaller bands or ‘units’ that serve various functions,” he said. “There is a lot of history even just within our contributions to the Navy,” he added.

The band’s last stop at CSU was in February 2020, just before the global COVID pandemic hit the United States.

Brandon Carpenter is a senior communication major and an intern in the Marketing & Communication office at Charleston Southern University.