@randjgc -- to answer your last question first; I'm not sure what you mean by "ordering through the website", but if you go onto the website and click on the Ballad Workshop link you'll then find another link which takes you directly to me -- where you can reserve a workshop place as numbers for some events are limited.

As to what happens at a workshop... There is no fixed formula, but Gordeanna McCulloch and I select a ballad ahead of time that is not often sung (we always start by looking for a good story) and we may have to find a tune for it if none is available. We teach the tune in a very basic form, so that there is plenty of room for 'pushing it about' according to the requirements of the text; and then we go through the text - with many pauses for discussion about meaning of words, emotions and motivations of characters, relevant folklore etc. etc.
When we think we've all found an understanding of the story that suits us (and there could be different interpretations around the room), we begin to marry tune and text to produce an attractive version.
Marriage of words and melody is the biggest part of the work at one of our workshops, and participants realise that they have the freedom to alter the word order or add wee words to help the line sit comfortably on the tune; or they might alternatively adapt the tune to make it fit the words. We believe that this is what traditional singers often do unconsciously, so we're trying to encourage the development/re-awakening of that inner ear. And there is no intention of producing THE RIGHT VERSION, because there can be no such thing as the right version -- just a version that is pleasing to each individual.

Apologies if this is more information than you wanted or needed, but I realised that there may be some people who expect a workshop to GIVE them 'the answer'; we're just hoping to offer participants a possible process towards finding their own answer.