Forster Country lies to the north of Stevenage Old Town and is designated Green Belt Land. It needs protection from urban development, not only for its intrinsic topographical interest and recreational value as a Green Lung for the adjacent urban population, but for its association with the literary and musical cultural heritage of Stevenage.

E. M. Forster, the author, lived in Stevenage long before the New Town was conceived and some 6000 acres were designated in 1946 for its construction. His deep concern that the Hertfordshire countryside he loved would be destroyed by new housing development was shared by his friend, Elizabeth Poston, the composer, who was born and bred in Stevenage and, until her death in 1987, occupied the same house, Rooks Nest that had been his home too, as a boy.

The Friends of the Forster Country (FoFC) had already championed the literary heritage of Stevenage that is linked to this particular parcel of land, and now the centenary of Elizabeth’s birth (24 October 2005) would offer an opportunity to focus on the musical heritage to which she had contributed so much.

She had taken a great deal of interest in local musical activities and was the founder President of the Stevenage Music Society, the orchestra of which I had joined in the 50’s. It was later, as chairman that I had first met her and, like so many others, was entertained over the years to tea and extraordinary stories, shared on a number of occasions with our musical and literary friends from abroad. She had great charm and style, even when wearing an old cardigan, headscarf and jeans.

By the time I was asked in September 2004 to organise the centenary celebration, the FoFC committee had already had ideas for a video and book by Margaret Ashby, local historian and co-founder of FoFC. And there would be a ceremonial planting of a commemorative apple tree, alluding to her world famous carol, Jesus Christ the Apple Tree.

However, more large-scale events were called for, especially of her choral music, not withstanding the short time-scale, the lack of funds and the paucity of information about the nature, extent and availability of her unpublished music.

An application for Local Heritage Initiative money submitted by mid- November 2004 was granted in mid February 2005 and the real work began, with massive public support; with about 60% of the project completed the contribution. in kind, amounts to over three times the monetary value of the grant, and that discounts the many unfunded events that sprang from our initiative.

The inauguration, effected by the planting of an apple tree by the Mayor of Stevenage, was well covered by the local press and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on Christmas Eve 2005, with a repeat the following week. More press coverage and two more radio programmes followed later.

There have been three concerts held , and two further ones are planned – for September and October 2006. For these, hitherto unpublished works by Elizabeth have been obtained from the copyright holder.

A commemorative plaque to Elizabeth was placed next to the monument to Forster, with Braille text drawing attention to its generally tactile nature and the large sculptured script that reads, ‘only connect’ and ‘the rainbow that connects the prose with the passion of the poetry’. It was unveiled by the Chief Executive Officer of The Hertfordshire Society for the Blind with the Mayor & Mayoress of Stevenage and local MP, Barbara Follett in attendance.

Research on Elizabeth’s music (some 300 works) has shown just how much of it is vocal and choral, and surprisingly that some 80% is unpublished.

Her pocket diaries and letters to friends have been researched for material for a conference on her life and work to be held in October 2006. Elizabeth was a prolific correspondent, crafting her letters with an elegance of style and calligraphy that truly matched the personality that was revealed in them. The need for a full biography is obvious, and since the letters would be invaluable to a future biographer, as well as being of great general interest, transcripts of those that have come to hand will be published with the proceedings of the conference.

The project has without doubt already made Stevenage more thoroughly aware of the cultural heritage that is associated with the Green Belt Forster Country, particularly that attributable to Elizabeth Poston, as well as to her close friends E. M. Forster. Bookings are in train for the remaining events, and the Book, Video/DVD and published conference proceedings and letters will form a permanent record for the future.’