Jane Sloman facts for kids

Jane Sloman (born in Ipswich, England, on December 15, 1824, and died after 1850) was an English musician. She was a talented composer, pianist, and singer. Jane had a busy concert career in the United States during the 1840s. She is most famous for writing the songs "Roll on, Silver Moon", "Forget Thee", and "The Maiden's Farewell." Her music was also published under the name Jane Sloman Torry.

Forget Thee? (Boston Public Library)

A Young Musical Star

Jane Sloman was a child prodigy. This means she was very talented from a young age. She became excellent at playing the piano. Her teacher was Louise Dulcken, who also taught Queen Victoria. Jane performed many times for the British royal family. She even played music informally with famous musicians. These included the violin expert Niccolò Paganini and the gifted pianist Sigismond Thalberg. In 1839, she moved to the United States. She was one of the few female piano virtuosos in the country. Before her first American concert, Sloman gave piano lessons to a few students.

Her First Concerts

Jane Sloman's first big concert was in New York. It took place at Niblo's Gardens on July 16, 1841. She was seventeen years old at the time. After her debut, she went on a concert tour. She performed in many cities, like Philadelphia and Boston. People saw her as special because she was one of the first female piano experts to come to the United States.

Her concerts were very popular. Newspapers in Boston praised her performances. They noted her tasteful and passionate playing. She was among the first group of professional women composers. This group became known in the 1850s. Other composers included Augusta Browne and Marion Dix Sullivan. Jane Sloman's last known concert was on February 18, 1850.

Writing Music and Songs

Jane Sloman wrote both popular songs and other musical pieces. Her work included simple pop tunes. She also wrote more classical, complex styles. These styles were common for Romantic composers in the mid-1800s. Jane often wrote her own song lyrics. She was known for sharing a female perspective. Her songs talked about love and courtship. In her song "I'll Make Him Speak Out," she asked, "Are women’s hearts playthings to be broken by boys?"

She also edited a vocal collection called The Melodist. This book featured her favorite piano accompaniments. It also included several original choral melodies with lyrics. Her compositions were published under the name Sloman Torry after 1862. Her last public performance as a pianist was in 1850. However, her songs and compositions continued to be published until 1902. This shows how popular her music remained for a long time.

Selected Works

• Forget Thee? (Boston, 1843)
• The Maiden’s Farewell (Boston, 1843)
• Roll on, Silver Moon (New York, 1848)
• I’ll Make Him Speak Out (New York, 1852)
• Take Back the Ring (New York, 1860)
• The Butterfly (New York, 1861)
• So Far Away (New York, 1869)
• Queen of the Night (Del Ciel Regina), 1v, pf (Boston, 1873)
• Margery Drew
• Titania (n.p., 1902)
• Constancy (Boston, 1880)
• Mon Amie; Bacarolle (Boston & Chicago, 1882)
• Love’s Whisper (Boston,1879)
• Drifting Away (Boston, 1876)
• Carina (Boston, 1878)
• Star of the Morn (New York, 1873)
• The Waiting Heart (Boston, 1882)
• Milkmaid’s Song (New York, 1875)
• Sing Bonny Robin (New York, 1876)
• Waiting at the Brookside (New York, 1873)
• Don’t Be Jealous (New York, 1975)
• Unforgiven (New York, 1877)
• The Zephyr (Boston, 1881)