Nathan,

Don't be put off by the folk police and don't be intimidated by the cliquey that the folk scene can sometimes present! Just sing whatever you want to sing :)

Try searching the Digitrad, as someone else suggested, to find some stories that you like, and then maybe you could try putting them in on Spotify or on youtube to try and find some versions that you could learn from.

Spotify is actually a great resource for finding songs that you like, and I often find many of the ballads I sing from listening to "The Voice of the People" (which are available on Spotify). The Voice of the People are a collection of ballads and tunes (mainly ballads in my experience) that were recorded years ago- they are usually very raw and true to themselves- however, be wary of tune- sometimes they can be a little off, so you need to use your musical sense to figure out where they're supposed to be (not as tricky as it sounds). Although, I appreciate you have mentioned that you have no experience of singing, so maybe it's best to stick to more commercial recordings for now...say Nic Jones or Peter Bellamy (also available on Spotify and probably youtube as well!).

Richard Bridge mentioned The Watersons- I think they're recordings are also great to work from if you're looking for ballads with harmonies and group singing.

A good idea is to try and find out about any singing groups in your area- where do you live? I'm sure someone could point out some singarounds from your area. Also, if you are a littler nervous about performing, or are unsure of your ability, perhaps it would help to join a choir to get a sense of the basics and to work with harmonies directly...it's also great fun and if you join the right one, it's all about having fun!

I hope this has helped you somewhat. As I said, try not to get bogged down with the folk police (the people who tell you that you can only do this or that, rant about tradition, etc...)

I'm 18 and based in Kent, England, so if you ever wanted to come to a singaround near here (if you happen to be in the area), feel free to get in touch :)

Sinéad. x