Warren’s Citizen of the Year is helping create the community she wants her children to grow up in, and for Frances Evans, it’s about bringing more music to town. 

When Mrs Evans returned to Warren with her husband to help run her family farm, she knew her classical music background had to come with her. 

It’s how the Warren Chamber Music Festival was born, drawing international names in music to the small town of Warren. 

“It’s been a resounding success because we don’t bring any type of average player. They are truly international artists, recognised not only in Australia’s greatest small ensembles and orchestras but overseas as well,” Mrs Evans said. 

“They really love to come out to the bush…they really enjoy getting out of the capital cities, and Warren is such a hospitable community that they really feel loved by the time they leave us.”

The success story is unsurprising, given Warren’s current musical renaissance. 

Warren-based family band SToReR took home a Golden Guitar for Bush Ballad of the Year at this year’s Tamworth Country Music Festival, which Mrs Evans also attended as a member of the band.

On the same weekend, multi-instrumentalist and member of Warren’s first Indigenous youth rock band ‘Dreaming Drifters’ Jerome Shepherd took home Young Achiever of the Year at the Warren Australia Day awards ceremony.

The pull to raise a family in the country was too strong, so Frances and her husband Nick created their own musical opportunity. (Photo: Sophie Lee Photography)

“There are some really musical people in Warren, and just hundreds of music appreciators that are hungry for the arts, whether that be contemporary or country or classical or really anything,” Mrs Evans said. 

As Citizen of the Year, Mrs Evans said there’s no better place to raise a family than in the country. 

“Our careers meant we needed to stay in the city but the pull to have a family growing up with country values and amongst country people was so strong that we knew we just had to do it.”

“I do a lot in the community through music, but we’re doing it because this is what we want our children exposed to…if it’s not (an option) you provide it…then other families get to thrive through that as well.”

Warren Shire Council also celebrated: 

• Business House of the Year: Ellerslie Lane 
• Young Sportsperson of the Year: Mr Fletcher Hunt 
• Sportsperson of the Year: Warren Rugby Club First Grade 
• Young Achiever of the Year: Mr Jerome Shepherd  
• Community Event of the Year: St Mary’s Parish School Presentation of the Lion King Jr, the Musical 
• Community Service Award: Mr Stephen Muir 
• Young Citizen of the Year: Miss Zoey Daley