It's Christmas in the Valley again, and for the 12th year the classic Mark Werchowski tune is a big hit. In fact, this year might be the biggest for our hometown song writer as he just made a video for the song and it will be shown at Christmas time. (Photo courtesy of Mark Werchowski)
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A family trip around the snowy hills of the Mohawk Valley is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon during the holiday seasonSand thanks to the local favorite holiday song "Christmas in the Valley," you can now take a trip from the privacy of your own home.

Some holiday classic songs just never get old, and "Christmas in the Valley" is one of those tunes. Written 11 years ago by Oriskany music luminary Mark Werchowski, the timeless track seems to be taking on a whole new fame this season. Mark has just completed a video that will be shown on local television this Christmas, featuring himself singing the song, with scenery from all over the Mohawk Valley behind him.

"When I got the call to do the video I was thrilled." Mark said. "It's been 12 years since I wrote it and this song has really taken on a life of its own."

Mark remembered sitting with his guitar writing songs, when suddenly the idea for the traveling tune hit him. He had the whole song written in 45 minutes, and enlisted a cast of scores of local musicians and radio personalities to record it. The first printing of 1,000 copies sold out immediately - raising over $5,000 for the Steven Swan Humane Society at the same time - and "Christmas in the Valley" remains a holiday staple to this day, largely because of all the familiar places its lyrics conjure.

The Christmas in the Valley disc makes a perfect present for anyone who has ever lived in the area, giving a great memento for any Mohawk Valley traveler. From Sangertown Square Mall to Dolgeville to the gates of Griffiss Air Force Base, on to Waterville, Camden, and Little Falls, and then through Oriskany, Boonville, and Ilion, the song logs almost as many holiday miles as Santa himself. The trip continues to Utica and the Riverside Mall, then to Rome, Schuyler, and Sylvan Beach, all places Mark is quite familiar with thanks to his many years on the local club circuit.

"These are all places I remember from driving home at four in the morning," the two-time ASCAP Popular Songwriter Award winner said. "I've played in so many of these towns."

Christmas in the Valley is available on CD for just $5.99 at Big Apple Music in New Hartford and both Last Unicorn stores, and the disc also includes Mark's "Take Care of Your Friends" and "Love on Fire," a collector's item nugget he recorded with former band Nighttrain in 1983. His full-length CD That's My Story... is also still available for a festive Mark two-pack.

Don't miss the video, tentatively scheduled in the Utica area on WUTR channel 20 at 11 PM on both Christmas eve and Christmas night and at 5 PM on Christmas day. It will also be broadcast in the Syracuse, Binghamton, Elmira and Watertown areas, so check with your local affiliates for more info. If they are not showing it, demand it, and don't forget to request the song from your favorite radio station too!

For more information, check out his WorldWideWerchowski web site at http://home.adelphia.net/~werchowski, and tell him Open Mike sent you!

"I just like the fact that people still enjoy the song, and I'm glad to be a part of the community's holiday celebrations," Mark said of his long-lasting contribution to so many area festivities. "This song has given so much back to me."

To get your own entertainment news in the Open Mike spotlight, drop a line to 104 W. Hamilton Ave., Sherrill, NY 13461; e-mail to tcweekly@dreamscape.com; or call 315-366-0564.