Ballad

I belong to a large Community Theatre and we are celebrating the arrival of King James the VI to Berwick Upon Tweed in 1603 from Scotland in August. Now it’s going to be fun. I have to try to compose a Ballad type tune for this event. No words yet at all or any indication of what might be written. Others are having a go as well. Anybody seen any set formats for time sigs etc for Ballads?

I usually see them as written in 4/4 or 3/4… sometimes in a veeeeeery slow 6/8…