Yulia – Civic Theatre, 21 October 2023: Review

Yulia was in topflight with perfect voice, presenting a wide-ranging curated set of songs which dwelt on matters of the heart.

Yulia MacLean immigrated to New Zealand from Russia, with her mother, at age sixteen. She  learnt English after arrival and within two years her singing talents had been discovered. She had a platinum-selling debut album Into the West in 2004. A Classical and Pop crossover.

She has performed extensively in Europe. In London she also met producer Craig Leon, who was captivated by her voice enough to work on several musical projects. A respected name in Rock’n’roll, having worked with Blondie, the Ramones and the Bangles. His tastes were eclectic as he had also worked with Pavarotti.

I wrote about Yulia’s performance on this stage two years ago when she performed a magnificent tribute to Edith Piaf. The performance was one of possession. From the French legend to the young Russian chanteuse.

The brace of songs she does from Piaf gets a noticeable response from the largely subdued crowd. They are as quiet and attentive as a folk club, which picks up any mistakes of which there are none.

With the Piaf songs her voice is close to a rich contralto.

Padam Padam swings with a light air of Jazz. Round and round in circles, attracting the beautiful men.

Je ne Regrette Rien, the instantly recognisable classic and she reflects the tough and brash Piaf style.

The perfect cabaret band, led by conductor Mark Davidson, are subtle and perfectly frame each song. Two violins, viola, cello, electric and stand-up bass, electric guitar, drums and piano. Davidson also plays saxophones.

The concert begins with the music of the Carpenters, and the vocal legacy of Karen Carpenter.

Yulia can capture the warm rich tone of Karen on songs like Yesterday Once More and We’ve Only Just Begun. She adds some of her own style of folk and soul.

(They Long to Be) Close to You was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Richard Chamberlain. Richard Carpenter rearranged it significantly to come up with the all-time classic version that his sister sang.

Songs we grew up on the radio with, whose power only heightens with time. Yulia had the same experience with the Carpenters’ music as a teen coming to New Zealand.

Don’t you remember you told me you love me, baby. That’s Superstar, written by Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett. There is pain dripping from the heart in this version.

The other featured singer is Barbra Streisand, with five songs.

My Heart Belongs to Me has Pop Soul phrasing of the style Dusty Springfield was renown for.    

Don’t Rain on my Parade from Funny Girl is sung with strong feminine assertiveness.

Seemingly effortless dramatic swoops to the high register mark out People and Evergreen.

Evergreen is also the theme of the concert for Yulia.

Of course, she pays tribute to Joni Mitchell with a superlative version of Both Sides Now. The band provide a danceable backbeat whilst Yulia adds more signature vocal climbs.

A special treat is My Favourite Things. The original song written by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein and sung by Julie Andrews, was also brought into the realm of avant-garde progressive Jazz by the great John Coltrane. The ensemble combines both, with Davidson providing some thrilling saxophone fills, one of which resembles the intro to the Byrds’ Eight Miles High.

It would have been great to hear them stretch out on this. All the songs are presented in compact Pop format tonight.

We have Latin swing and Bossa Nova with a handful of Astrud Gilberto songs, including the classic Girl from Ipanema.

Another group who conquered the world through their music on the radio were Abba. Yulia sings The Winner Takes It All with that distinctive Scandinavian phrasing of English which made the two women singers of the group so appealing.

MacArthur Park can be easily overblown but the ensemble handles it with taste as the string section feature.

Yulia closes out the show with another brash Piaf classic, Milord. The story of the streets of Paris and big-hearted ladies of the night.

Rev Orange Peel

Photography by Leonie Moreland

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