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Early records of the band do not exist in any other than a fragmented form, but the earliest reports of Leyburn Band do go back to 1841. It was mentioned as playing on the Leyburn ‘Shawl’, which is a beautiful limestone escarpment (that has been recently bought by Leyburn Council for the benefit of local people and visitors), offering breathtaking views over Wensleydale from Leyburn. It is so named because Mary Queen of Scots is believed to have tried to escape from her imprisonment in nearby Bolton Castle by crossing the ’Shawl’ where she dropped her shawl. The Leyburn ‘Shawl’ Tea Festival in 1841 was organised by the Wensleydale Temperance Society and entertainment was provided by Leyburn and Masham Brass Bands. The next record we know of is when they played at a concert given in Leyburn by a travelling musical company (Signor Jacobwitch and his family). According to the Ripon and Richmond Chronicle’s review of the concert given on Saturday 11th March 1859:

“A concert was given in the Town Hall on Tuesday evening by Signor Jacobowitch and family, including Madame Jacobowitch and son, who is a young performer on the violin, and showed himself to be a good master of the instrument. The audience included many of the fashionable families in the neighbourhood, and was more select than numerous. The concert opened with the performance of a selection from Verdi’s “Attila” by the Leyburn Brass Band, and was given in their usual style, though we may be permitted to suggest their performance would have been better appreciated had they been placed in the orchestra instead of on the platform. Signor Jacobowitch gave evidence of his peculiar vocal powers in a medley of his own composition, named “The Spinner of Flax and the Drinker of Wine". The piece admitted of many vocal undulations and showed the Signor to be a strong barytone (sic) of considerable compass. But the instrumental part of the entertainment was the chief attraction, though Mr. Jacobowitch drew some applause by his rendering of “The Low Back’d Car”. His performances on the violin were also applauded, but the peculiar part of his performance was the execution of a violin solo on one string only: this a marvellous feat and elicited warm applause, though we more admired the performance of “De Beriot 5th’s Air” in the playing of which Mr Jacobowitch showed exquisite delicacy of touch, and perfect manipulation. Madame Jacobowitch accompanied the Signor’s songs on the piano, and also gave two solos on the harp, which were well received. As an interlude the brass band gave a selection from “Lucretia Borgia.” A novel feature was introduced into “Rule Britannia” (sung by Signor Jacobowitch,) but it scarcely atoned for the rendering of that patriotic song. The concert concluded with “The Battle of Lucknow” sung by Signor Jacobowitch with piano and violin accompaniments.”

Later in 1862 Leyburn was mentioned as being one of the bands in a Brass Band Competition organised by the Society of Oddfellows in Bedale. There were 14 Bands in the competition in two sections, a First Class and a Second Class. Of the four bands in the First Class, one was Leyburn. Attila by Verdi and Lucretia Borgia must have been popular with Leyburn Band because they used them again in this competition. There is no record of the result of the competition. There are other records in papers suggesting that for a time at least the band was quite competitive, but sadly only two results are known of Leyburn being placed in the winners’ list.

However, contests must have been taken seriously because there is a record of the band taking part in a contest the following year in July 1863. The band entered a very prestigious competition at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, London. It was the ‘ Great National Contest’ open to any Amateur, Yeomanry and Rifle Corps bands. ( The reference to military bands comes about because so many amateur brass bands had enlisted in the volunteers). The competition was organised in collaboration with railway companies which transported the bands and their supporters to London. The previous year the contest had seen an attendance of 12,000 spectators and an entry of 115 bands (Black Dyke won the first contest in 1860!) Full details are not available for the 1863 contest save that of the list of entries from all over the country which included bands from Leeds, Bath, London, Northallerton, West Hartlepool, Manchester, Wolverhampton, Dorset and Middlesex. In the 1863 contest the entries were reduced to 12 after the preliminary trials of skill. Among those 12 were the Leyburn Band and Darlington Band which came fourth.