Okay. I think your position here is way too subjective to be of any worth other than as 'an opinion' - which I respect. I am a ballad singer AND a storyteller; this is how I work with traditional material - in terms of pure narrative which goes hand in hand with the musical setting which is part and parcel of that (as oppose to mere accompaniment). It might not be to your tastes, or folky tastes in general, but to say that it is not good ballad singing is as way off as it is generally off-putting.