"Having a singer come in and perform for students was what made an impression on them, rather than playing a record"

That is obviously preferable and I've done that on numerous occasions in the last 20 years, but this usually costs money and certainly in the UK money is very tight in schools at the moment. Perhaps a video might be a compromise.

I feel an idea forming. The EFDSS are sending young performers into schools at the moment. Perhaps they can afford to put out an educational video of young performers performing some of the more popular ballads and talking about the ballads and why they sing them.