Ummmmm, why cancel just because "the response from people in the village was to say at best crap". As far as I'm aware, none of the villagers are players or singers anyway, so why does their interest, or lack of it, have any sway?

A session is, by definition, for the benefit of the musicians who take part. It's not a concert, not an audience event, it's a 'come along, bring your instrument and join in' event. Seems as though a fair number of musicians had expressed their intention to be there, why ruin their day just because the joskers aren't begging for tickets?