Wow!!!

[iiipopes]

He has a blog on brass-forum.co.uk

[NickJones]

Known Les for a fair few years now , outstanding player , modest and a genuine friend.
first came to know of Les' playing when he first started at the Royal Northern College in Manchester , we needed a solo Eb tuba and Les' name was always coming up with names for player of the future , brilliant talent , over the next few months the point of ayr colliery band in the last stages of playing as a competiting band heard some fantastic playing from Les , brilliant in a section but a fantastic and confident soloist. Brass at the Guildhall in 2001 sticks out ( we played English Heritage by George Lloyd my younger brother won the best soloist prize on cornet but I am sure Les would have pushed mike for the prize).
hearing Les with the Williams Fairey band in 2002 playing the fiendishly difficult solo tuba part for Masquarade cemented his playing ( faireys won in London and were awesome) , Les came to play for the Beaumaris Band from 2003-2005 and our performances were enhanced by Les musicianship ( Grand Shield 2004 Masquarade again , Wychavon Festival ( british premier of Fnugg Blue) ,Beaumaris Festival ( Andy Scott's Going Down and the Pendereski Capriccio)also our tour to Norway in 2005 where Les gave the world premier of Pete Meechan's concerto for tuba .
Always finding new avenues for promoting not just himself but tuba playing , Les is a revelation.

[Highams]

Yes indeed. I met Les in December when I reviewed his VW performance for The British Bandsman magazine;

The annual December concert given by the Windsor & Eton Choral Society was of special interest to brass players this year, with the guest appearance of tuba soloist and Besson artist, Leslie Neish, sponsored by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust.
Leslie is an amazing tuba player who endears himself to audiences with the most wonderful tuba sound.

One of three featured soloists (including James Birchall, Baritone and Mary Bevan, Soprano), the programme was a nice mixture of festive and formal classical works, with the latter certainly not detracting from the occasion.

The ornate Eton College School Hall would put many concert halls to shame, and it was almost full to capacity for this evening concert.

Following the opening overture, Hansel & Gretel, came the much anticipated performance of the Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto. (Word had travelled fast following the brief afternoon rehearsal).
The tuba is an impressive looking instrument in front of an orchestra, and Les is a tall young man. What was to impress even more was the amazing tone quality over the extended range (and dynamics) that was about to be unleashed on the audience.

The quietest of entries in the opening Allegro Moderato eased the tuba in gently before the rapid scales and trills abound around figure 2. Conductor Ralph Allwood caught the 6/8 tempo perfectly for the jaunty section at figure 4 and continued to work the busy string section in and out of the many changes of mood behind the soloist. The final cadenza seemed to appear all too quickly as the low sustained chords disappeared in the Largamente.

For me, 3 (or more) movement works always produced a favourite, and the Romance is mine!
Now was the chance for the soloist to sing high above the stave, with the decorative figures at section 4 fitting beautifully in a constantly flowing tempo, just pausing briefly (and naturally) at the end of phrases. The huge but brief fortissimo before figure 7, was in complete control, and made the closing bars even more impressive.

There are many, many recordings available on CD of this Concerto. But it’s the ‘live’ performance that can make the work stand or fall.

The final movement, Rondo Alla Tedesca for once, was played close to the tempo marking of chrotchet=150!
This produced the ‘edge of the seat’ effect as fingers flew in total enjoyment of the music. The less busy section between figures 4 and 7 created the contrast of styles required. The final cadenza had time and space, perfectly shaped, before the final tutti triplets ended the work.

The sustained applause was inevitable, the audience had loved every minute of it, and so had Leslie! If the audience were smiling at the end of the Concerto, then the impromptu, unaccompanied, encore had them laughing too, with some hilarious multiphonics.

Leslie Neish is a superb artist, and on this occasion won many new friends (both in the orchestra and the audience). More importantly perhaps, he showcased the tuba in its justified role as solo concerto instrument.

Charley Brighton

[WorldofBrass.com]

Les came to my attention when I heard that he was giving two lunchtime recitals here in London last year. These were part of the prize when he became the first tuba player in the history of the Royal Overseas League to win the wind and brass section. He also received the Philip Jones Memorial Award for the oustanding brass player in the same competition.

More recently, Les has been awarded a grant from the BBC Fame Academy Bursary to commission a brand new work for the tuba and was featured in the centre pages of issue 17 (February 2007) of The Brass Herald.

As well as all that, he's a jolly nice bloke too!

[Kevin Hendrick]

Hi, Les! Glad you (and your horn) made it back home in one piece. It was a pleasure to meet you and to hear you play -- the comments above are spot-on!

Kevin Hendrick
Kalamazoo Concert Band

[jbaylies]

lesneish.co.uk is closed for refurbishment and will be open again shortly

[davidgilbreath]

See Les' response regarding new website above. He provides the working one.

www.lesneishtuba.blogspot.com

[Robert Simmons]

I visited his blog and listened to the recorded samples there. What a marvelous player! Based on his comments posted above, he seems to be a very gracious gentleman as well.

[Wilco]

I visited his blog and listened to the recorded samples there. What a marvelous player! Based on his comments posted above, he seems to be a very gracious gentleman as well.

Right on. I met him on a tuba & euphonium day in Castricum, The Netherlands last saturday. Bought the Badinage cd, I like it

[WorldofBrass.com]

I will say this, and I will probably get flamed aplenty for it. John Fletcher is my all-time favorite Tuba player to listen to. The sound files on Les Neish's site were some of the closest (while maintaining his own unique voice) to the quality of John Fletcher, that I have heard. The clarity, beauty, effortless singing quality and roundness of tone-- everything, is all there.

Great minds think alike!
This is what Bramwell Tovey is quoted as saying;
"The player who most reminds me of John Fletcher today is Les Neish".

[David Zerkel]

Les is a stud!

Definitely the most Fletcher-esque Eb playing I've heard! Watch for great things in the future for him!

[AndyCat]

Les is a fantastic player in all genres. Soloist, Orchestra, Tubalate Tuba Quartet, Fodens Brass Band etc.

He has a new CD out very soon

http://www.4barsrest.com/shopping/cd_detail.asp?id=821